"Before we go, I'd like to have a look at everyone injuries."
"Mmm", she mutters thoughtfuly. "These injuries do not seem to heal naturally. That means only magic will help us. Let's move back a few meters out of sight of the city, so that I can perform some other rituals if Solvi and Muni are willing."
Gilian repeats a similar ceremony and with the help of Muni, performs two more CLW rituals with two targets for each.
"That there is one handy trick. Thanks.
Muni flaps back up to Ilona's shoulder and looks around.
"Anyone else realize they aren't hungry? I don't know if I can ever remember being not hungry."
Solvistania stares down at the city, a farawaay look in her eyes. When Muni comments, she glances distractedly at the raven. "It is the nature of this land we travel, it will end when we reach the city boundary I believe."
Solvistania stares down at the city, a farawaay look in her eyes. When Muni comments, she glances distractedly at the raven. "It is the nature of this land we travel, it will end when we reach the city boundary I believe."
"No Muni, I can't remember one day you didn't complain about food. I'm just wondering where you put everything you eat."
Hearing Solvi comment, she considers what they have learnt until now and replies in a thoughtful voice: "My guess would be that this city is still part of this land and that the castle is the Queen's. So that's where we may find your kin, Solvi."
If every one is ready, let's go. "I suggest every one be very careful with what we are offered to eat or drink here. If we don't need to eat, I don't know what actually eating food from this land will do to us."
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Golden apple turned to light slowly guides you to the outer wall of the strange city. Up close, the barrier has a look of skin stretched tight over rocklike flesh, decorated with screaming faces that seem to twitch and soundlessly howl whey you are looking at them from the corner of your eyes.
The gate in front of you is an enormous structure built to resemble a giant skull with jaws open wide. The eyes of the skullgate burn with strange green fires, that cast its light on the road leading up to the city wall.
In front of the gate stands a guard of tall elf-like beings, clad in black, dark-purple and dark-green segmented armor. They are not wearing helmets, so you can see their long pointy ears, skin black as tar, red and violet eyes and gleaming white and golden swirling tattoos on their faces. All of them have black long bows, that look like the limbs of tortured thorn-trees and strange curving blades on their backs.
As you approach them, one of the guards steps forward, raises his hand and loudly speaks at you, but his words are in some tongue that you have never heard before.
Duncan tries to decipher at least something of what they are saying but all their words sound too alien for him to glean any meaning.
Solvistania concentrates on the syntax and structure of the words being spoken by the guards, knowing comprehending their language is a necessity.
Gilian concentrates as well on the words but the language is too alien for her and even the structure of sentences does not seem clear.
Skytor nocks but dosen't draw an arrow, as he surveys the situation, and tries to figure out what the new threat is communicating. He also scans the area to make sure there are no other threats.
Perception
"They wish to know who we are, they have never seen our like.
"Well, tell 'em, already."
Turning to the elf-like beings, still a bit puzzled by his sudden understanding, and apparent knowledge of their language, Duncan says: "We are but strangers in this land, a travelers wishing no harm to any being living here. And we are not all of one race, but of two races. We come here searching for a friend, and we will leave right after we find him. And no peaceful creature need fear from us, for we will not meddle in any business other than our own."
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"We can enter the city, and the guards have given us some advice about where to go, but we will have to gather more information on the way. This gate is called the Midnight Gate, and the city is called Gloomnight with two parts, Gloom above the ground, and Night under it. The realm is called Shadar, and it seems that there is war going on practically everywhere, and that there are many sides, but the guard didn't want to explain it all to me. We were directed to the Refuge of the Lost Souls. It was an inn at some point, but we may still find shelter there."
Solvistania pulls the hood over her face to hide her facial features and nods to Duncan. "That is a good place to start from."
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The golden light suddenly dims and once again turns into golden apple. The fruit drops in Gilian's hand as soon as she passes through the gates of Gloomnight.
The moment you entered the city, you can see all manner of strange beings walking its shadowy and claustrophobic streets. Some of them look like strange elves, black or deep purple of skin and with snow-white hair. Their faces are covered with intricate white tattoos and most of them are dressed in articulated and segmented armor made of some chitinous material, with long curved blades on their backs.
The others look like unusually pale Sarcosans, with blood-red lips, black hair and purple eyes. They seem to prefer long robes of deep red colors, that seem out of place on the streets of that strange city.
Many of those that you see pass the gate are unfortunates - beggars and lepers, poor and hungry.
The buildings around you are strange as well. Narrow streets wind unpredictably alongside buildings, around them or even through them. Structures pile or lean against one another. Wicked towers stab at the purple sky, surrounded by noxious-looking clouds, of flocks of bat-winged creatures. All the buildings that you see are made of black stone and look so ancient and twisted that they see more than ready to tumble over any moment now.
Almost every available surface is carved in the shapes of screaming faces, tortured bodies or grotesque winged creatures.
You are most certainly unprepared for a sight like this one. You feel almost as if you have entered into the maw of some ancient gigantic terror - hungry, watching and waiting for you to slip up, so that it can eat your soul.
"Cheery place."
"I can't wait to see that hospitable establishment called the Refuge of the Lost Souls..."
Duncan turns towards his companions, still watching the surroundings with one eye.
"So, what should we do next? Find this inn and try to find out all we can on the way there?"
Solvistania's voice is barely audible beneath her heavy cloak. She decided it would be wise to hide her facial features while in this gloomy city.
"I do not see any viable alternatives at this point, Duncan."
"I do not speak this language". "Perhaps we should ask directions".
"I can't wait to see that hospitable establishment called the Refuge of the Lost Souls..."
Duncan turns towards his companions, still watching the surroundings with one eye.
"So, what should we do next? Find this inn and try to find out all we can on the way there?"
"As Solvistania said, let's go there. But we must be wary at all times. We're not in any living city and I doubt any of the beings here is really breathing as we are."
"Cheery place."
"You could say that again!"
Ilona took in the surroundings gaining a feel for the environment and more importantly the strange people that populated it.She looked at the people in read, seeing something of her own coloring in these strange red draped folk.
"This is definietly amongst the stranger places we've been, and that's saying a lot"
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"I can't wait to see that hospitable establishment called the Refuge of the Lost Souls..."
Duncan turns towards his companions, still watching the surroundings with one eye.
"So, what should we do next? Find this inn and try to find out all we can on the way there?"
"As Solvistania said, let's go there. But we must be wary at all times. We're not in any living city and I doubt any of the beings here is really breathing as we are."
Duncan looks around the street and starts asking questions in the most polite manner he can without wanting to look too cautious or afraid. He asks about the war, the city itself and the Refuge of the Lost Souls.
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"This realm is called Shadowlands and it is a sort of a reflection of our world, Summerlands, as they call it. It was a home of fey creatures but it was separated from our world and now exists parallel to our world, taking essentially the same space. We are in Shadar and it seems that this land is geographically similar to Erethor. These elflike creatures are Shadar, they are descendants of Elves who were here when the Shadowlands and Summerlands were separated. The Fell creatures we see are called Morgral, but they are not like the regular Fell we know from our lands because these don't feed on flesh. And everybody seems to be fighting here, I still can't determine who is fighting who and why, but as we were already told the war is also in the confines of this city. Refuge of the Lost Souls seems to be an inn that changes places, but we should find it now in Trade District."
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After several hours of seeking directions from guards and passers-by, you finally arrive to the marketplace. A huge square is filled with hundreds of stalls and thousands of beings of all kinds, from the dark-skinned Shadar beauties to ogre slaves in spiked collars, chained to large iron-bound carriages.
Around the marketplace there are a lot of buildings, grim and old like all the others in that strange city - all except one. Just inside small alleyway next to the marketplace there is a huge house built of red brick. Four stories high, it has colored-glass windows and two large lamps burn in front of the oaken doors. These are the first lights you've seen since entering this strange half-world.
Solvistania eyes catch the light emanating from the brick building. She points it out to the others, "Could that be our destination?"
"Looks like it, but there is only one way to find out."
With that, Duncan starts walking towards the lanterns of the Inn, inspecting it as he approaches it.
"Looks like it, but there is only one way to find out."
With that, Duncan starts walking towards the lanterns of the Inn, inspecting it as he approaches it.
"Let's go in, I hope we will find other travellers like us that know more of the surroundings"
Sky his morose attitude still fully evident, follows along with the group, keeping his thoughts reflective and private at the moment.
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Duncan is first to take those few steps that lead to the strange building. The rest of the party follows him, since there is no room at the landing in front of the doors for more than one person. He knocks on the door, and then tries to open it.
At first, they seem stuck, but then the doors open into a large room, with tables and benches made of rough planks. The floor is of same red brick as the walls, and covered with rushes. At the far end there is large fireplace, at least fifty feet wide, and filled with two enormous logs, that burn merrily.
As soon as you enter, the world regains color. Everything is again bright and for a moment you are dazed. You feel hunger and your injuries pain you. Suddenly, you feel as tired as if you've walked for days and days without rest or sleep.
Along the right wall of the room there is a long bar, built from the bricks rather than carved from wood, underneath wide staircase that leads to the upper floor. The room is empty, except strange man standing behind the bar.
He is tall and slim, with a beautiful face that reminds you of Caransil elves. His skin is pale like one of the Morgral that you've encountered outside. His ears are long and pointy, slightly longer than those of elvenkind, but his hair and eyes are most unusual features of his appearance. One eye, the left one, is the color of freshly spilled blood, while the other is the color of bright amber. His hair is of two colors as well: the left side of his head is as white as snow, while the right side is black as midnight.
He raises his head and stops polishing the wooden board above the brick bar. Raising his left eyebrow, he looks at you and says: "Yes?"