The last thing you can remember might vary, but you know that things have gone horribly awry when you can feel yourself falling through space and time.
The feeling is almost nauseating, provided your physiology allows for such a condition.
When it stops, you realize you've fallen out of the sky onto wild, fragrant grass. There are stars overhead, but if you've any knowledge of astronomy at all you know that they are in the wrong places.
Crickets chirp in the distance, but you can imagine you've chased yours away.
A pile of bones lies not too far away.
Less than ten meters to your right, you see an old building the right size to be an inn. It's overgrown in places, but intact, and a single door remains open, hanging slightly off its hinges. A single water pump covered in cobwebs stands next to ancient stairs.
In the distance to the left, a mountain looms, the snowy tips glowing with starlight and moonlight. Forests surround beyond the clearing in every direction.
The moon is odd, though. It's enormous and violet and covered in what looks to be swirling vapors.
If so
"Sir, who are you?"
"Ooof. My name is Max Smithson, Paladin of Ragathief. Where is this place, I can't see much."
"It appears to be an inn. It is a wonderful stroke of luck to meet a fellow paladin here. If you are injured I would more than glad to heal you before we continue to this inn."
Saying so Xarl moves over and offers his lay on hands.
He then places himself between the inn and Max holding his falchion ready.
Max looks up. "Hey, that moon looks different. Thank you Sir. I've just finished my oath and was heading out to bring justice to the world and this.."
Xarl nods his head.
"Strange... We both find ourselves here, but the last thing I remember was being attacked at sea. I fell overboard and was sinking into the abyss, but now I find myself here?"
Xarl stares up at the moon, but is unable to find anything that is different.
"Well, we had better get going and find shelter. The inn will suffice for tonight and we will have a better clue about what is going on in the morning. That and if anybody else arrives the way we did I want to see them before they see us."
A shrill voice breaks the quiet from a few dozen feet away.
"What was that?"
There's a moment of silence, and then another joins in. "Where are we?"
A chorus of others pipe up, sounding confused but not terribly alarmed. "Another trick of that Count's, no doubt." "No doubt!" "Bet it is!" "That's right, that's right!"
There's another pause, then: "But... where are we?!"
"Don't know, don't know!" "How exciting!" "Couldn't've said it better myself!" "There's a building over there."
"And some people." "They look like knights." "Hope they don't work for him!" "Shh!"
Kenith lands on his feet with a loud *THUD*, Dwarven Waraxe and Mithral Heavy Shield in hand. He cracks his neck and walks to the only other beings he can see.
Oi, What happened?
"Herr dwarf, I have absolutely no idea, and I believe that I just heard a voice."
Xarl nods to the dwarf and looks over towards the area where the sound came from.
"Hello? Who are you? And who is this count?"
There's a squeak! of surprise, and silence for a few seconds before a new voice is heard.
"They're talking to us!" "Questioning us!" "Claiming ignorance..." "Better answer!" "Right, right..."
"Who are you?" calls a voice in response.
"I am Max Smithson, new paladin of Ragathief. Who are you?"
"I am Xarl, Hell Knight Paralictor, and paladin of all that is holy. What are you blue little cloud?"
"Why do you question us about the Count?" demands a new voice.
"Aye!" "Good question!" "Where's Saggypantsius?" "We killed him!" "Oh right." "Where's Opiuchwhatsisname then??" "Good question!" "Shh!!" "Listen!"
I am Kenith Wedge, mercenary for hire. I was just about to fight against an army of Orcs then next thing I know I am falling through space and landed here.
The voices can be heard once again, murmuring as if in conference
"Never heard of any of them." "They could be new." "True..." "Perhaps we've never met them." "Their names don't sound like his minions'..." "No, indeed not." "Sure don't." "New victims of his?" "Did he need more?" "Villains like him always think they need more." "Oh, that's true." "You're right, of course."
"Why did you claim we were servants of this count?"
"Wait villain? Is this count a servant of evil?"
"Claim what?!" "We never claimed that!" "Did we claim that?" "No, of course we didn't!" "... are you?"
How can we be anyone's servants if we just landed here? By the way where is here?
A small body falls to the ground with a minute thud!
Slender hands grasp out at the blades of grass and feel around to ascertain solid ground is present before the creature sits up.
She places a hand on her head and the gash from the fall and stands up shakily.
"What portion of hell is this?" she asks, eyes open but not quite comprehending.
It's not where you started from... or anywhere in your country.
You suspect you're on a different plane simply based on the evidence of the unique moon.
Xarl rolls his eyes.
"Oh you know the one over by the swimming pool. We just ran out of drinks, and I was hoping you had brought some."
Looks around for the person who just spoke.
"We don't know either though I bet this talking gas ball knows."
"Well Xarl and I were heading over to the inn, before you others dropped in. Perhaps we should go over there?"
"Why would the diabolists put a hellknight at the bottom of the sacrifice pit?! They make no sense. I assume that's where they put me... Oh, wait..."
She rubs her eyes.
"They know better than to grab me in my sleep, right?"
She seems to roll with the weirdness.
"Yeah. An inn would be nice. Then I could go back to sleep. You know, and wake up outside the crazy and examine what it was I drank that made me dream falling and actual pain at the bottom of the drop."
"I don't think this is a dream little miss. I was ready to fight Orcs before being dropped into this place."
Noticing no immediate danger he puts away his Dwarven Waraxe and Shield.
"Well we do need to rest up. Who will take the first watch?"
"I guess that I will. I'm still wide awake from the war cries."
"Thank you Herr Wedge. After a small nap I will join you for the rest of your watch and the night."
The stairs are surprisingly intact, and the door can be pulled to the side to reveal an abandoned main room with a single table still standing while the rest have deteriorated into rubble. An empty fireplace sits against the back wall.
The bar sits in front of a liquor rack that still has lots of dusty bottles inside.
What is probably the kitchen is blocked off by spiderwebs.
There are two rooms with shut doors adjoining, and a stairwell leads upstairs.
"Gas ball?!" "Is he talking about us?" "Sounds that way." "That's no way to talk about us!" "Indeed..."
The cloud follows the rest of the group inside.
"He actually called you a talking gas ball. Which seems correct, at least part of it." Max says as he follows the talking gas ball inside.
"A gas ball and a hellknight." Lupi yawns, giggling. "A dwarven soldier and some other dude... Yeah, we could do worse."
She isn't convinced about the dream thing and screws up her face and jumps into the air on the stoop.
"Noope. Still can't fly."
Roll initiative.
Assuming I was following towards the group, so here it is.
"Wow this place doesn't look in the best of shape. Oh Max and Miss if you need some light upstairs here."
He takes out an Ioun Tourch from his belt pouch and hands it to Max.
"This will give you some light in the darkness. I've found it works when you flick it like a coin."
"What's this?" "We are not a talking gas ball!" "But we talk." "We do talk." "True!" "You're right!"
"Now then, what's going on here?"
The cloud begins to look around, exploring the first floor... first.
Lupi squints at the introduction of the ioun torch, puzzled.
"Okay. Thanks. Light is helpful... I can function outside, but once the dim light is gone... eesh."
She follows after the swirling ball of pixies, as it is easy to find by the sound alone
---
Once the kitchen is neared by the pixies, the hellknight, and Lupi, skittering can be clearly heard therein, and a swarm of shock-white spiders barrel into view. Only Niulamayu had any sort of inkling what was happening before it appeared, but it didn't engulf anyone immediately.
These are probably relatives of the scarlet spider; you can see rings on their backs. They likely carry disease and poison then. However, you can expect new tricks to rear up as well.
"Anyone have an actual torch?! I can't get these things with my mind." Lupi calls out.
"What do ya need an actual torch fer? Because I'd rather not burn down the place."
"Hey wait you said things, what things are you talking 'bout?"
"The regular things of course. Dusty rooms, broken floorboards, swarm of spiders. Gonna need to get a bigger fly swatter."
"Careful!" calls a voice from the cloud's direction. "Careful, careful!" "Be full of care!"
"Dangerous spiders," "For you people." "Very dangerous."