Justin leads the party out of the Temple District and over through the Lady’s Ward. The weather is typical: drizzly fog that blurs the buildings surrounding the streets. They pass through quickly, headed down to Copperman’s Way. The broad boulevard brings them to The Great Bazaar and the inconspicuous doorway that Justin remembers from their earlier meeting with Lissandra.Karrin remembers the strange owner, the Grey Angel.
Within the doorway is the weapon check area and the doorman. Instead of a dapper gnoll, this time the doorman is a construct shaped like a dwarf fashioned of black iron. Sullen red fires smolder in his eye sockets and mouth.
“Drop your gear at the counter” He instructs in a basso mechanical voice
"Hello." Justin says pleasantly.
"My companions and myself will not be staying. We're just passing through. We just need to use a Gate."
Justin holds up the 'key' to this particular Gate to show it to the iron-dwarf-construct.
Mr. Case,
Enclosed are the portal keys you will need to follow the secret path to the Citadel of Ruin. Follow these instructions:
At the Ubiquitous Wayfarer, ask to see the door of Fate. Enter that silver coin into the slot in the door and step through to the False Castle.
At the false castle, you must seek its neighbor, the Black Pyramid. Inside, find a washroom and stab yourself in the heart with the Ghost Dagger. This will bring you to the Pyramid of the Dead.
In the Pyramid of the Dead, you must find your way to its apex and jump, holding the peacock feather. This will bring you to the Peak of Abarntal.
Seek the Tomb of the Ice King, and within touch the Iron Cube. This will bring you to the cavern wherein the Citadel of Ruin lies.
Good luck
~M
Justin asks for the Door of Fate, and the construct grunts and asks for 10GP per person. After this is handed over, a server leads them through the busy common area and up to the second floor. There a large bronze door, verdegrised with age sits. Embossed on it is a horned figure with a gaping mouth. Inside the mouth is a coin slot.
Justin follows obediently to the door way. He nods to the escort, and looks at the others.
"Ready?"
He holds up the silver coin, and eyes the coin slot in the horned embossed figures gaping mouth.
"Yeah. THAT'S not creepy or anything." He murmurs, but obediently inserts the silver coin into the slot. He waits a moment, then tries to open the door.
As the coin goes in the slot, a portal suddenly appears in the mouth of the door. The mouth stretches until it is about five feet high. Justin grumbles as he has to duck down significantly, but it is achievable. Martin smiles and offers to go first
“In case there are problems “
Eventually everybody stoops and enters the swirling blue portal within the door’s mouth. There is that odd stretching feeling, and then....
They have emerged in what looks to be the back end of some sort of storage room. The portal had anchored on a large mirror attached to a wall, and as the last person goes through it winks out, leaving a slightly smudgy reflective surface. There are a few chairs nearby, and a trash can full of paper, glass bottles, and small metal cylinders. One wall has what seems to be metal storage lockers, about a dozen in a double row of six. Half of them are padlocked with odd locks. The air smells of pipe weed. A glance shows a metal ashtray sits on a small table near the chairs, overflowing with the ends of old cigarillos. A battered pack of oddly-patterned playing cards sit by the ashtray, along with a pile of round discs approximately coin sized in various colors. The floor is paved in dingy tile.
Beyond this are are ranks of metal wire shelving, stacked with boxes and metal cans. Some of the cans are labeled with bright pictures of various fruit or vegetables. Down one aisle there is a door in the distance, about 10 meters away.
Justin looks around, raising an eyebrow.
"Welcome to the 'False Castle', I suppose. Or at least it's very untidy pantry?" He smirks.
After a final check to make sure everyone is still with them, he heads towards the obvious doorway.
"So. I guess we head outside and look for it's neighbor, the 'Black Pyramid'." Justin muses aloud as he walks to the door. He eyes the playing cards and strangely colored coins on the small table as he passes it.
The door is unlocked, and the party heads out it. It opens into a concrete hallway lined with other doors. At the end of the hallway is a flight of stairs leading upwards. A large red glowing sign reads EXIT above the stair
.
There a large bronze door, verdegrised with age sits. Embossed on it is a horned figure with a gaping mouth. Inside the mouth is a coin slot.
Alessia pauses to inspect the door, running her fingers over the horned figure.
"This seems...hmmm... familiar."
As the coin goes in the slot, a portal suddenly appears in the mouth of the door. The mouth stretches until it is about five feet high. Justin grumbles as he has to duck down significantly, but it is achievable. Martin smiles and offers to go first
“In case there are problems “
Eventually everybody stoops and enters the swirling blue portal within the door’s mouth. There is that odd stretching feeling, and then...
After Martin steps through the portal, Alessia hesitates, regarding the portal cautiously for several minutes before finally stepping through herself.
Justin looks around, raising an eyebrow.
"Welcome to the 'False Castle', I suppose. Or at least it's very untidy pantry?" He smirks.
"This does not seem to be a castle. False or otherwise."
The stairs lead up into another hallway. This one has several swinging doors opening to a huge busy kitchen area. Humans in white uniforms and net hats cook furiously. A man dressed in an odd getup vaguely reminiscent of a merchant accosts them
“Excuse me folks! This area is off limits! I’m going to have to ask you to head to the main plaza”
"This does not seem to be a castle. False or otherwise."
Justin nods, eyeing the doors on the hallway, but heading towards the strangely glowing, conveniently labeled, 'EXIT' sign.
"Yes, THIS looks more like some kind of, odd, Inn or something, somewhere." Justin says as he passes through a swinging door into a bustle of cooking activity.
"Yeah. Inn, or something." He nods with raised eyebrows as he takes in the activity of organized chaos in the room.
A man dressed in an odd getup vaguely reminiscent of a merchant accosts them.
“Excuse me folks! This area is off limits! I’m going to have to ask you to head to the main plaza”
Justin smiles.
"Of course! We just got turned around. Um. Which way to the 'Main Plaza'?" He asks, still smiling while crossing his arms in front of him and pointing in two different directions.
The man gives them a flat professional smile. That at least changes little across the multiverse.
“Of course sir, the plaza is down the hallway. I assume you are part of LARPERCon? They are settling up dinner at the Tournament of Kings facility if you are looking for that. It’s directly across the plaza”
The man points to a door at the end of the hallway
Justin blinks at the man's 'professional' face, his own smile never faltering.
"LARPERCon? Yep! That's us! LARPERCon, Silver Rose Chapter! Thank you very much! We'll just be going, that way, then."
Justin says, as he extends his own arm to point a finger down the indicated hallway, and then follows his extended finger. Still smiling.
As they get (hopefully) out of earshot, Justin turns his head to the side just enough to speak to the others in a hushed voice, teeth still clenched in a smile.
"Um. WHAT is a 'LARPERCon? And why does it sound so,... cheesy?"
The group walks out the door and emerges into a large plaza. There is a throng of people walking about, most of them dressed in very strange-looking short-sleeved shirts and shorts. However, there is a sizeable minority of people dressed in various outfits that would look more at home in Sigil.
Perception 15
Perception 20
Perception 30
Many of the more normal-looking folks are headed to a large double door. The legend above it is an odd magical sign that flashes brightly
Excalibur welcomes LARPERCon! Tournament of Kings Dinner show 6,8, and 10PM!
The entire place is lit up with magical lighting, so brightly it’s almost painful. Distracting flashes, sounds and the crowd overwhelm the party. A portly man in a green jerkin walks by Mel and comments
“Great armor, dude! It looks totally functional!”
"Nothing makes sense anymore..." mutters Alessia to no one in particular. She appears to be extremely ill at ease.
Appearing at Avrahim's side, Alessia surreptitiously points toward the "vampire" in the corner.
"We seem to have been... followed. Perhaps it is a spy. I think we should kill it before it realizes it has been seen," she says to the vampire hunter, speaking in hushed tones.
The Vampire Hunter looks about
“I am sorry my friend, but this place is distracting me. Hold on for a second “
Avrahim’s Eyes glow golden. He scans the area and zeroes in on the suit.
“Yes I see him now. How do you think we can get to him in this crowd?”
"What IS this,... A party?" Justin asks aside to Merle & Karrin.
"I mean, I like elves, but,... fake ears?!?" He continues to stare around him incredulously.
The wizard stares at the too-bright magical sign.
"LArpercon,... Tournament of Kings? Dinner Show?!? What, in, the, Planescape...?!?"
"Nothing makes sense anymore..." mutters Alessia to no one in particular. She appears to be extremely ill at ease.
"You, are, not, wrong,..." Justin murmurs in response, still rubbernecking.
A portly man in a green jerkin walks by Mel and comments
“Great armor, dude! It looks totally functional!”
Justin looks at Mel and Martin with a raised eyebrow.
"He said 'Looks functional', as if he didnt expect it to be. Waitaminute,... false elf ears, fake armor, dinner show?!?,..."
Justin looks around a little calmer, his smart-aleck grin returning slowly. "I think that first portal worked right after all."
The wizard spreads his hands, taking in all of,... everything, before him.
"I think we found the False Castle!" he grins.
His happiness is interrupted by the quiet but intense conversation of Alessia and Avrahim.
"Um, WhoSayWHATnow?!"
Martin and Mel look around frowning
“Yeah this place is faker than a Bleaker’s smile. Even the air smells fake. There’s no tang to it. Where’s the smoke? The nightsoil?”
He murmurs softly and jerks his head over towards the Tournament of Kings
“But that bloodsucker in the corner looks awfully real. I don’t like that the only true thing we see is the thing we seek in another realm”
Martin scans the crowd frowning. His eyes flash briefly with a silvery sheen
“I believe I see the creature. By the doors to that large ...whatever it is. Dinner palace? “
Sarastra scans the crowd in a bored manner
“I see the creature. What of it? He probably hunts for his dinner amongst this fleshy herd. He is not looking at us, and we have business to attend to”
She turns her cat eyes to Justin
“Shouldn’t we be finding this Black Pyramid you spoke of?”
Looking about, there are several other venues in the plaza. Two small taverns are nearby with the odd names ‘Orange Julius’ and ‘Dairy Queen’. A large area filled with children and some of the normally-dressed people declares itself the ‘Fun Dungeon’. Another place calls itself ‘Merlin’s Arcade’. Near the Tournament of King’s entry way is some sort of magical stairway. People stand on it and are conveyed upwards, presumably to another level
a large magic portrait begins lighting up by Merlin’ s Arcade. An odd moving picture of oddly shaped horseless chariots race along to an even stranger music that seems to come from nowhere. Several children sit under the huge portrait gripping what look to be ship wheels and pushing buttons and levers occasionally. A sign above the magic portrait blinks the words ‘SUGAR RUSH’
Justin looks swiftly from side to side trying to take in all of the sights, sounds, and mystical devices and visions that just keep piling up.
If this continues, the wizard is in serious jeopardy of getting whiplash.
Finally he manages to drag his gaze away from the mesmerizing giant, glowing, moving portrait and the mesmerized children underneath it. He shudders briefly, blinking rapidly to focus his eyes and his concentration.
"I hate to admit it. But Sarastra's right. I hate to leave a bloodsucker to his devices in such a rich, defenseless feeding area. BUT I also don't want to tip anyone off that were coming. If he's a watchman, here to keep an eye on anyone passing through the Gate to their hideout, we do NOT want him sending a warning that someone is coming. Or not sending an 'all clear' check in, which is just as bad."
Justin sighs, his own words clearly not sitting happily with him.
"If he hasn't spotted us yet, lets keep it that way. No weapons. It doesn't look like a lot of these, people, even have weapons. Much less real ones. We've already been spotted as unusual and told we stand out by a Prime clueless. Let's not get spotted by the one actually dangerous thing here. Besides us of course." he adds with a smirk.
"We need to leave this 'False Castle' and find the 'Black Pyramid'. Look for one of those magical, glowing 'EXIT' signs. Hopefully that'll be the fastest way out. Otherwise,..." Justin points to the magical, moving stairway. ",... we can follow other groups of people. If this is where the 'Larpercon' is being held, then people leaving the area must be going somewhere else. Ergo, follow them to the exit."
Looking around, but not seeing any of the magical, glowing 'EXIT' signs in all the visual hubbub, Justin follows his own advice and points to the magical stairs. Then follows his own finger towards them,...
Karrin, with her low Wisdom score, is easily distracted by all the bright colors and flashing lights, if she had any money it'd likely all be gone now.
Justin waves his hand in front of Karrin's face.
"Hello? Prime World to Karrin. Care to join us on,... whtISitanyway,the magic stairway?"
"Huh? Wah? Did someone say something about Vampires? What are the chances that those things are unconnected? That guy could have a magic key or something? Anyways I don't know cheesecake or an orange Julius is but I'd sure like to try them."
The group heads up the magic stair. Justin can’t seem to figure it out, it just conveys them sedately up to the next level. They emerge on another massive open plaza. This level seems to be at ‘ground’ level , as there seems to be a large entrance at one end of the plaza where the strangely-dressed folk are coming and going. Beyond is a nighttime, but one lit up like daytime by thousands of magical lights.
There are a few normally-dressed folks on this level as well, but not as many. The decor here looks like what a barmy architect might imagine a huge castle would be like. The plaza has stations where people sit and feed coins monotonously into brightly-lit machines. Just past the magic stair is a normal-looking tavern, or at least a tavern that attempts to ape a normal look. It has much too much glass and magic lights, but there’s a bar and an impressive collection of alcohol bottles behind it. A bartender dressed like a ranger mixes drinks.
On the other side of the magic stairs is a small kiosk with the legend ‘information’
"Huh? Wah? Did someone say something about Vampires? What are the chances that those things are unconnected? That guy could have a magic key or something? Anyways I don't know cheesecake or an orange Julius is but I'd sure like to try them."
"AND I think that's a WONDERFUL idea. For the return trip!" Justin says with a large, forced smile, gently nudging Karrin towards the magical stairway.
"I'm not detecting any magic,... some sort of Clockwork mechanism perhaps?,..." Justin muses aloud as the mystic stairs rise them majestically towards the next floor.
Noting the normal-ish tavern, Justin reflects that after this trip, he'll NEED a drink. But also notes that the 'normally' dressed folks are fewer here than down below. Looking around, half blinded by the noise of the machines and the magical lights, the wizard's gaze latches onto the sign that says 'Information' like a drowning man in the ocean.
"Stay together." He advises over his shoulder, waving them to follow as he heads for a closer look at the 'Information' kiosk.
The kiosk is staffed by several young women in uniforms that look vaguely less weird than what most people are wearing hereabouts. Justin could image them on Sigil’s streets. One of them walks to Justin and smiles. It almost looks real
“Welcome to Excalibur sir! Can I help you with something?”
Justin returns the young lady's smile.
"I hope so! We were supposed to meet up with some friends of ours, and we've lost track of time. Can you tell me the quickest way to get to the Black Pyramid?" He asks innocently.
Justin doesn't have to try TOO hard to make with the 'tourist in a strange land' face. He's beginning to have flashbacks to his first few days in Sigil.
The young woman looks momentarily puzzled, then brightens
“Oh, you mean the Luxor Hotel! That’s easy. Go up to the next level and look for the signs. There’s a walkway that connects Excalibur to the Luxor, it’s a splendid view of the city “
The girl hands Justin a shiny paper brochure. Within is a stylized map of the building they are at. Sh points out the directions. Justin is amazed by the paper, he’s never felt anything quite like it. It’s almost slippery to the touch. Fortunately, It acts like normal paper, and The woman tells him it’s his to keep
Justin thanks the young lady with what he hopes is a confident 'Yep! I know exactly what your talking about!' smile, and returns to the rest of the group.
"OK,... Next level up, supposed to be a walkway to the Black Pyramid. It's apparently called the 'Luxor Hotel'?" Justin explains as he looks for a stairway, or another of the magical-clockworks moving stairs going up,...
There is indeed another magical stairway leading upwards. The group follows the helpful directions and traverses yet ANOTHER huge level filled with sights and wonders. They find a large exit that leads to a walkway.
The walkway is immense, and covered. There are two magical paths that people are standing on that move in opposite directions. In the center is a regular walkway. Huge windows show them an amazing vista. It is dark outside, but the night shy is lit with millions of colored lights and immense magical portraits showing amazing scenes. Far below the streets of this magical city are thronged with people. It looks as busy as Sigil.
The group heads down the walkway. They pass a few stores actually built into the side of the walkway. One reads ‘SOUVENIRS’ and has a bunch of those odd shirts people are wearing here. Many bear the legend ‘Las Vegas’.
Farther down, the decor changes. Suddenly there are huge columns, like many of the ancient desert gods like on their temples. They come to and entrance that opens into an immense sight.
It is a pyramid, but from the inside out. The center is hollowed out and it rises to an apex high above. Rows of landings march upwards to the very top. There is a huge crowd of people about, most busy gawking like the group or shoving coins into banks of those mysterious machines.
Justin looks around, and around, and around again. Once more enthralled by the sights of this NEW building only a brief journey from the 'False Castle'.
"What IS it with the NOISE?!? The lights and giant, moving pictures are, incredible,... but,... and WHY are people tossing coins into those machines?! Are they feeding them or something?"
Justin closes his eyes and takes a breath. "NOT here to solve the mysteries of the Multiverse. Here to save Murphy."
He opens his eyes, calmer, and looks around a again.
"But I am DEFINITELY planning return trip. So. many. Questions."
Justin shakes his head.
"OK. This is obviously the 'Black Pyramid'. SO we need to find a washroom. Instructions didn't mention a specific one, so I suppose any one will do."
He looks around the vista before them. Again.
"HOW in Hades are we supposed to find a washroom?!?" He does NOT whine as he indicates the chaos before them.
Off to the side there is a sign reading ‘restrooms’ with pictographs of male, female, and group. Down a hallway the three doors lead. A cursory check reveals a gleaming tiled expanse, much different from the public restrooms in Sigil, which are usually open benches with holes dropping to the sewers below. The ‘group’ one seems unoccupied at the moment, and also seems fairly large, with several wall-mounted boards with instructions in simple pictures for changing infant swaddling
"Hm. An indoor outhouse. And a nice one at that. This should do. I hope." Justin mutters the last bit as he ushers the rest inside the strangely clean room.
The mage pulls out a dagger handle with no blade. He re-reads the instructions.
"As usual, these things are delightfully vague. I don't know if we're supposed to go through as a group holding hands, or take turns doing this one at a time."
Justin ponders the dagger handle again. He takes it in a firm grip, and the ectoplasmic blade appears.
"Let's join hands, see if we can all go through the Gate at the same time if I trigger it. If I vanish and the handle falls to the floor, just,... pick it up and do what I do."
Justin resettles his pack, and takes Martin's large hand in his left hand, holding the 'ghost dagger' in his right. He waits until everyone has joined hands, then asks the last in the line to touch his shoulder as well. Just to be safe.
Once everyone is settled, Justin mutters "Macaroni better not be laughing about this,..."
He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and without opening them plunges the ectoplasmic ghost blade into his chest. Right where his heart should be,...
"I swear if this fails and strands us here I will personally kill you a second time."
Justin’s heart does an odd lurch as the ectoplasmic blade enters it. It is a weird feeling, like his heart stopped and then started again. The party gasps as the bathroom...changes. The brightly-tiled expanse ripples and darkens. It’s the same room, but it looks like someone was murdered inside it. Dried blood is all over the walls, and handprints of gore are on the mirrors, many of which are cracked. There is a stench of old death in the room, of rot and decay. The door they came in has one of the infant changing tables nailed in place across it, bloody handprints decorating it. A blood-caked hammer lies on the gore-spattered tiles. The two of the three stalls in the room are open, the bowls empty of water. The third is closed, and there is writing painted on the door in dried blood
Don’t open this stall. I am dead. Beware
As the group takes in this gruesome scene a low moan begins from the closed stall. Someone seems to be inside it. They slam on the closed door, but it remains shut
".....You know what You succeded but I'm probably gonna murder you when this is all over anyway..." Merle as her fur begins standing on end.
Justin takes in the rooms,... change. And his eyes look as wide as Merle's. The wizard visibly jumps when the stall door rattles.
"Yep. Good feelings gone. Time to go." Justin agrees.
And his voice didn't crack. Not even a little bit.
"Martin, would you mind?" Justin asks his large friend politely, pointing to the bathroom entrance with the infant changing table nailed across it.
Justin pulls a wand out of the empty-looking quiver at his side, and levels it at the stall door.
Just. In. Case.
Alessia feels ..... energized. There is a feeling like she used to feel when on the Negative Material Plane. Not as strong, but there.
Martin frowns
“I do not feel right leaving a threat at our back. Whatever that is, it is evil. I can feel it”
Avrahim nods
“I also sense that it is dead. And hungry”
Justin rolls his eyes at his large friend.
"And people say that I'M the one who goes looking for trouble,... Red Dragons are large, evil and hungry too. I don't see anyone rushing to pick a fight with THEM!" Justin fusses at Martin over his shoulder, keeping his wand leveled at the stall door.
The looks the two give each other seem to indicate this is a regular, ongoing conversation between the two friends.
"But hey, what's the point of asking for professional help if you aren't going to listen to the professionals? SO what's the play Martin? Avrahim?"
Martin frowns
“I do not feel right leaving a threat at our back. Whatever that is, it is evil. I can feel it”
"I feel... stronger? I have not felt this way in a very long time. It is... unnatural."
"But hey, what's the point of asking for professional help if you aren't going to listen to the professionals? SO what's the play Martin? Avrahim?"
Avrahim looks over At the stall door. The moans are increasing in volume and the pounding is relentless.
“Whatever it is, it is undead. And obviously mindless. Or at least on an animalistic level. It cannot figure out a simple latch to release itself”
He gestures at one of the other stalls. There is a simple bolt latch that secures the stall from the inside, presumably for privacy and modesty.
“We can always try positive energy”
He glances to Mel
Mel nods and raises his holy symbol a pulse of energy washes towards the stall.
[i]The moaning ceases and there is a *thud* sound.