Telin checks to make sure his bag is still at his side before walking out the door into this new place. "Well, that was fast. Now I can get some real food. Eleven, where should we start asking around for your contact?"
I assume this person has a house of some sort, if we know where that is we could go there. If we have a name, usually lower class citizens know a bit more than they let on and asking could help
Gilly grins at Telin and Tak, commenting, "Your work plans out how go find lets! Gilly very to talkative monodrones love hears cook are and!" Gilly heads for the door.
While Gilly goes to cause mischief Telin takes a deep breath and with a leap flies up into the air.
He does a vertical climb before doing a quick dive back to the ground. "Ah it feels better being out of such a confining space."
The modrons guard/greeting the party’s entryway offer the same greeting-identical in cadence and tone each time-to each of you as you make your way to the end of the room. Past it is a single hallway that a massive vehicle seems to travel in.
”WELCOME TO AETGANOS”
”WELCOME TO AETGANOS”
”WELCOME TO AETGANOS”
Back on the ship, Sheila’s been left with Beak.
”Wait! Aw… they’re gone. How am I gonna tell them how to get to the Hexagonal Quarter?”
“Tell ya what, I’ll go very far away from you and find out.”
“Great!”
”WELCOME TO AET-” ” Sheila announces her entrance in a manner that seems to be a pattern at this point.
”The little metal statue said we have to find a hexagon quarter. Look for something with five sides I guess.”
Tak looks around for an official or guard of some sort excuse me sir, may i ask for directions?
After his quick flight Talon joins Tak as he looks for someone to ask directions. When they find someone Telin jumps in after Tak speaks and asks, "also, where could I buy some food, real food mind you, not that nutri-sludge the arbiter has."
Taks search ends almost as soon as it begins when an axiomite in well-maintained walks around the corner from the room on the other end of the mentioned hallway. When Tak asks his question, the outsider merely points back the way he came "Directory". When Telin asks his, he gets a similarly curt "Cardinal Aetganos" as his answer before the Axiomite hurries about his day.
Gilly pulls out a basket suited to each monodrone greeter, one shaped like an hourglass, one with blue and gold stripes, and finally one with its bottom curving around and piercing its side.
He then finds the directory, looking aroung for a red, round, shiny, and candy-like button.
While Gilly doesn’t find any jolly, history-erasing buttons, he trots out to the next room, ceiling much lower than before. Except for the arches that several large metal carriages sit in. Each one linked to other behind them. And in between them and the party is a map on display. YOU ARE HERE There are several places marked on the map that the vehicles, “trains” they’re called, that carry passengers to and from destinations. Other guards stand watch, one such guard is another modron sitting at a ticket booth.
Each location is written in many languages, some of which are entirely alien. They all seem to make reference to the number six in someway. Even in colloquial manners.
Where to first?
Gilly approaches the modron with six sides, "Ah yes my good chap. Six tickets please to Cardinal Aetganos. And do be quick about it we're in somewhat of a hurry." Gilly then hands the modron 6 coins, 2 copper, 2 silver, and 2 gold.
"But don't we only need four tickets Gilly...?" Telin asks cautiously.
"Come again?" Sheila points to each of the party:
"One." To Telin.
"Two." To Eleven.
"Three." To Tak.
"Four." To Gilly.
"Si... five?" To herself.
"Yeah so five. Of us."
Gilly counts, "One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, four goes in tow, five for the shoes, and six to go go go!"
"My apologies, I miscounted, five. So the shoes I guess?"
Perhaps we should meet our contact and then speak over some food? it seems more efficient Tak comments
"Hmmmm, that is sound logic. I suppose I agree with Tak, let's go see our informant."
"...YOU'LL HAVE TO PAY YOUR TOLL ON ARRIVAL. YOU APPEAR TO BE NEW. IF THE VESSEL DOES NOT ARRIVE ON TIME, THE TRIP IS AT NO CHARGE." The bizarre robot disperses five tickets.
Sheila looks over hearing this news. "Free, you say?"
As if understanding where she's going with this, the conveniently six-faced modron elaborates "CAUTION: THOSE CAUGHT INTERFERING WITH THE OPERATION OF THE VESSELS WILL BE TERMINATED."
The draegloth seems taken aback by this, but takes her ticket and goes back to the directory. As the group files into the train car set for the Hexagonal Quarter they find decent seating. There's a section on the side of one of the cars with seating arrangements for quadrupedal passengers.
As the party settles in with the other passengers, several formians taking up a single large block of space, they may notice Sheila take her seat. In another train. Bound for Cardinal Aetganos. She waves and holds up a sign that reads
The note is scrawled in uncharacteristically fine lettering.
The metal cars lurch to life moments after the group finds seating. The contraption slides effortlessly forward, moving at incredible speed for those unfamiliar with such equipment. Sunlight can be seen in the rapidly approaching horizon, soon the full expanse of Aetganos reveals itself. Far from fully automated or lifeless, mounds of earth in many sizes hold together through some unseen force, each with foreign and familiar trees sprouting forth. Soon the trains separate to their various locations. The guiding rail above the train passes under a split in a massive waterfall that begins high above eyesight, and drains out far beneath in a foggy expanse. The fog is colored a faint yellow from the sunlight. Passing all the way under this floating mass of rock, the party can enjoy the magnificent view. Or chat.
Gilly looks outside and cocks his head obviously confused or lost. He then shrugs and resumes his normal gleeful self. He completely ignores the quadruped section and instead takes up a whole row of seats with one half of his legs lengthwise standing on the floor and the other half resting on chairs.
"Interesting place, though I don't know how I feel about the moderns and such. A bit too unfeeling for my taste. Eleven, you said you've been here before? But this isn't your home world? How did that come about?"
between them and the party is a map on display. YOU ARE HERE
As Gilly finds the map, he also spots Eleven off to one side talking to a small floating, their hushed conversation comes to an end and then she walks back to the group.
"Our contact has moved the Lab, she dose not really belong here, and moves the Lab around. Its currently has it located in the Hexagonal Quarter if they have not already told you. So we will have to use the transit units to get there, have they told you about the toll?"
As the party settles in with the other passengers,
She takes a seat and seems lost in thought,
She seems to have been given some news
The metal cars lurch to life moments after the group finds seating.
She seems to snap out of it.
"I like this place, it reminds me of home."
"So, these things are normal where you come from?" Telin asks Eleven.
"Yes automated mass transportation of more then one form. This we would call a mag-lev or hover train. There is also Vac-tube and motored vehicles. But I liked the sub-orbital scram jets best. My home is much larger than most worlds Even sub-orbital it can be weeks to get from one side of the world to the other."
She says all this looking out into the world around them.
"The fastest way is to mind transit a synaptic snapshot into new host mecha, but that costs and only the mega rich can do this. Most go by train or airship"
She turns and smile,
"Well my class anyway"
"What are suboritble scam jets and vactoobs, and... oh never mind. If your world is so large why not simply use magic, portal and spells and such to get around. It seems much easier..."
Gilly asks, "But can you watch Zero Hour! while scram jetting?"
"Your talking about trans-mat-ing. That is only for the ruling classes, ones with true power, I am no City lord or Demi-god"
She says with a shrug.
Whatever way we go, we should just go. Early dragon captures the gold.
"Do you know if a faster way Master Tak? We are already on this...train device.
It would be good though to discuss what we are going to do once we reach this contact. Eleven, you have been very cryptic on this subject. Who is this contact? What can you tell us of her? I'd like to know a little more than you have shared this far. What is this lab you mentioned?"
After looking over at Fully Telin leans in closer to the other three and whispers, "we may also want to discuss keeping Gilly away from any... sensitive discussions. He's... unpredictable."
Gilly looks around annoyed and grasps at the air at something unseen, he then squints his eyes at Telin but then gives him a double thumbs up while smiling broadly.
"She is someone who should not be on this plain, but she is here.
A scientist researching the plains. Her lab is her and so if anyone knows what is going on with the null plans then it will be Her"
Telin returns an uncomfortable smile and a half hearted thumbs up to the braiaur.
To Eleven, he says, "ok, so what should we be expecting when we meet with her? Is she likely to be helpful?"
"Be diplomatic and show an interest, her ego is her weakness play to that. She has great pride in what she dose. O and she can be very bossy, just go with it. If for a moment she thinks your not taker her seriously she will shot down. So no matter how outlandish her ideas or how eccentric her actions, do not laugh of joke about them"
She says looked to see how much longer it would take.
Luckily the trip would not be much longer as the individual party members eyes can now trace the metal line overhead to a gargantuan floating hexagonal mass in the distance. As you close in, the distinct shapes of tents and market stalls take form, with the impression that this venture may end up being like finding a rodent in a smokestack. Or some other version of that saying with hay. A nearby ticket-booth is automated and guarded, with a slot to dispense coins.
Six Gold. Any make. Will do.
The train glides seemlessly into the station nearby, this one far less grand with only a simple canopy overhead and a couple of places for trains to stop. Exactly twenty minutes after leaving the main station for those keeping track. The aforementioned formians skitter out almost immediately. It seems like they would have crawled out of the windows if it were any faster. In the near distance, the sound of a market can be heard and the stink of oil can be smelled.
So, what do? Eleven knows the contact might have left a dead-drop somewhere, which calls for a perception check. Others may find a simple diplomacy check asking about other recent arrivals is in order.
Telin asks Eleven, "so, where do we proceed from here?"
As he waits for her response he scans the area. He also takes the time to see if there are any magical auras as he looks around.
"I have no idea, she moves it around a lot, something about spys, so we will have to ask Local"
She says as the transpot comes to a flowdown
"Hmmm, well, I'll leave soaking with the locals to you. I'll take a quick flight and circle around and perhaps I can notice something that can help us. What does this lab look like?"
Telin finds a dense combination of flora and synthetic structures in his flight overhead. He also sees several free-flying vehicles as he passes by. Too much information in fact, to glean meaningful information from with this new experience of his.
Eleven gets off the transport and looks for the stations information desk
Eleven gives a glance to the area and tracks down an information kiosk manned by another Arbiter, this one a bluish silver.
"Greetings! How are you enjoying your visit to the Hexagonal Quarter?"
"Greetings, Subject Devic Zaitsev, location of habitat in Hexagonal Quarter query, please advise"
She says to the Arbiter in a matter of fact way.
I'm surprised none of our employers know where this contact is with how they mentioned said contact as well. Tak waits around.
Gilly begins to graze on the various plants contemplating, The ship must be broken, pretty sure this is Arcadia. He responds to Tak's musings, "Don't worry! Gilly's left hand doesn't know what Gilly's brain is saying half the time. At least the spleen knows what to do." Gilly then goes to every nearby door and listens through it, if he doesn't hear anything he'll try to open the door. If it's locked he'll take a nearby blade of grass or similar and shove it in any apparent locking mechanism, sign, and then move on.
If he does hear something he'll gather the party on front of the door urgently yelling, "Found it!"
Telin returns from his flight to find Eleven and Tak at the information kiosk and Gilly missing. "Uh... where's Gilly?! We really need to take turns keeping an eye on him..."
”Devic Zaitsev had arrived ninety-six hours ago. Reason for visit unspecified. Travelled in group of two. Last known whereabouts at coordinates 106 °30’10.2” N 13 °19’9.9”. Local street title "Tenenbaum." Subject made information public upon visiting this desk. CAUTION: Multiple noise complaints registered at location listed, Kolyarut inevitable dispatched to the scene as of today. Further information required?”
Gilly enjoys the fine local flavors available, some leaves are sour, some mild, and some sweet. The closest available doors are just around the corner and appear to lead to tenement buildings, vastly different in nearly every way from the hive ward back home. Whereas the buildings there wind and twist, these particular pieces are placed perpendicular to one another. There are obvious signs of life inside the buildings, not a one opens their doors to the caprine fellow.
Gilly can hear the sounds of the market grow somewhat closer from where he is.
After they get the directions Telin nods "ok, I'll go find Gilly and we'll meet you guys there." Before either Eleven or Yak can respond Telin jumps up and begins circling around searching. Once he finds him Telin touches down next to the bariaur.
"Master Gilly! Come quick we found where to go. You really shouldn't leave those two alone you know. Their lives are far too boring without you around. Come on, I bet you can't keep up with me!" Finished speaking Telin again takes flight, heading in the direction that the arbiter had indicated. During his flight he is sure not to outstrip Gilly so much that he loses his way. If he detours the elf will stop and follow Gilly, keeping him in sight.
Gilly looks sad, "But there might be ice cream. Wasabi I scream isn't boring, just loud. Onion eyes cream perhaps? Maybe even 1011 would cry." Gilly follows Telin with little difficulty not wanting to hurt the genasi's feelings and wonders, You'd think he'd move faster for flying.
"Understood"
Eleven says, looking for a local map. She then turns to the others.
"I think someone may have found Doctor Zaitsev before us, Lets get a move on and get to her last location"
With that she starts off at a jog.
Luckily enough, there is a map of the quarter close-by to the reception desk. Tenenbaum seems to be at the crest of a hill. This path takes the group away from the bustling sounds of the market. After a slight trek out further than even Telin went on his scouting flight, the group sure enough hears their destination before seeing it. They spy a lone building by the edge of the landmass. Is it a cliff overlook if the cliff isn't attached to the yellowish world below? Either way there seems to be a man-sized and cloaked figure pounding on the door with a rune-carved blade on it's back. It looks like it's pounding anyway. Any sound it would be making is masked by some kind of bass-heavy electronic music blaring from inside the structure.
As the Inevitable designed to be sent into disputes over breaches of contract, Kolyaruts are most likely to be willing to talk and parse intent of written and verbal agreements.
Also they aren't too shabby in a fight.