Drinks her martini while her thorl looks on vacant-eyed
"Is it time to go?"
I think so?
Rollo pins the lizard.
He looks around.
Should I bring him in? Probably get some information.
::Yes it's time...:: replied Azzim as he channeled more energy into the mass of undead Arlo was fighting.
Sounds like we have a deal then, Terexaltherin 'says' to the head bouncer while running towards the entrance.
He changes form to his true form as he goes and draws his favorite wand.
"Do I bring my puppet?"
I would say let go of him as soon as it's safe to do so, Terexaltherin replies, distaste at the necessity radiating from his speech.
Arlo destroys one of channeling undead and one of the undead attempting to him grapple. Then, two of those near Arlo then just touch him with their claw-like fingers... The surviving channeler channels again
Joining Rollo and the party members near him, Jocinth sends "I can see three approaches - wade in and try destroy this hoard, sit here taking pot-shots until they actually kick us out or follow Loges and run past them. I'd favor running... I happen to have a rod that lets my illusions affect undead so I could provide some cover..."
Mr. Crusenod has also destroyed one of the undead with a shot (leaving seven remaining though they're still a bit disorganized). Crusenod then shakes the lizard Rollo has grappled, removes carefully packed dimensional material and hands it to Rollo. "I said go, OK?"
Terexaltherin stealthily slips outside and picks one of the undead on Arlo, blasting it with burning rays.
There's only seven of them left already, we should be able to destroy them! he 'says' to the group as he attacks.
As immediate actions, Omdor once again uses two uses of the Retribution (Su) ability to counter-attack the two undead grapplers.
Using these attacks, the dwarf inquisitor moves within melee range of the female leader.
"The B|tch is MINE!!" The dwarf scowls, targeting her for his next smite evil.
Fighting at the entranceway to the great gambling room, Terex fumbles somewhat ineffectively and Arlo's sword missing it's target more often than not, the two only manage to take down one of the undead though several have weakened by Azzim's channeling...
The remain six undead begin forming a ring ready to catch the adventures in the center...
Subdued gambling continues in the Great Room...
Still, in the gambling hall, Gift send.
"You need help Pops?"
Rollo takes the offered goods, storing them inside his haversack. The dhampir then tips his cap, walks to the entrance and smiles.
Make way boys!
Heightened Chain Lightning Ref DC 28/26
"You need help Pops?"
I always want to fight with a Brighthammer by my side, Omdor grinned through the hive mind.
As the undead surrounds the paladin, Omdor grits his teeth and hunkers in as he fights with precision.
Azzim sends another wave of positive energy crashing into the undead.
In an explosion of energy, the party destroys the Dark Trader group and then with a flash, you find yourselves outside door to the Lizard Casino with door shut and the dimensional material in Rollo's hand.
With nothing more to do, you walk back to and go the gate to of the Giant's Playground dimensional complex where the Guardian immediately appears as soon as you enter, "What luck my friends?"
(You might say something to the Tharex but at this point, their meddling no longer matters).
Terexaltherin relaxes a bit and stows his wand as the last of the Dark Traders falls. He glances around to see if they left anything interesting.
Well, that went about as well as we could hope, he comments to the others, relief plain in his telepathic voice. Let's get this back to the Guardian.
As they travel back to the dimensional complex, the little dragon's mind wanders just a bit. He thinks back to his conversation with the creation spirits all the way back with the Oomsata, and wonders if a plane's Guardian might have any interesting insights into the nature of a plane. Now that he was in charge of his own little demiplane, he might even be able to apply some of what he learned. Not to mention he might want to learn a thing or two about defending his library. Hopefully the Guardian will be willing to answer some questions as a reward...
He pushes these thoughts aside as the group reaches their destination and the Guardian appears.
We retrieved the material! Terexaltherin declares. Though we haven't yet checked to see if this is all of it, it should be.
Pops into being next to her dad, and looks around
"Seems you have it all wrapped up here Dad, next time."
She grins at him.
The dwarf looked around and saw the undead dispatched. I guess so. Are we about done here?
Omdor uses a Lay on Hands on himself.
Rollo places a hand on Arlo's shoulder.
Well that was fun. Get this to the Guardian and see about tying this Time thing up.
Azzim nodded, "I think we're done here. The only question is were our efforts enough to avoid the worst of the temporal chaos?"
The dwarf rolls his shoulders, feeling better.
"Thanks, R." Omdor remembering his still on a mission.
The party finally looks at the package planar material in detail. You estimate that 7/8s of the original material is here - and that since the original contained some extra, the plane can be completely secured with this but with little to spare.
Guardian notes that he's kept things mostly quiet but there have a few minor hiccups the party could help with - people and animals wandering and reaching different time lines and needing to be retrieved.
Once the necessary planar fixing happens, The Guardian says they still have much to do and unfortunately can't chat. They ask, with a certain undertone of embarrassment, that The Organization check on the plane regularly just in case something further strange happens. They say that they think they have sealed all entry ways of the Dark Traders to the plane - the Black Gate is now an local problem for the Universal Republic.
Finally, because of all the anomalies, The Guardian calculates that you need to emerge slightly before you entered the realm. Once you emerge, you wait at the Giant's Garden and see this scene unfold and you can now emerge and greet Harclus (or simply remain hidden).
Finally, with most of the mysteries of the plane solved, you activate your return device and arrive at The Spire in the Ghetto District of Sigil where Bethia greets you warmly and asks each of you to spend a week in rest and relaxation after all the strangeness you've experienced.
He was a monster, and tyrant of the 1st order, a charismatic demigog who had won power from a carling and democratic government, now mostly locked up or dead. His winning mantra, making the empire grate again and declaring war on the old enemy, The Southern Republic. The war that was to come would be a meat grinder, and millions would die, from conflict starvation, and illness. From the war-ravaged content, a new combined state would arise, with a constitution that would hold for 1000s of years. But before that happened this old evil man in his medal and ribbon-laden uniform, had to walk out onto his old imperial palace balcony to great his amassed army and declare war.
So it was with some bewilderment that he now stood looking over a town market, as farm animals were sent to market down the cabled street, and market sellers were setting up stalls. He could see that the empirical Palace was being so new it was still being built.
In stunned silence he mouthed the words --- WTF!
A couth from behind him turned his head to see a young woman in black.
Eyes glowing blue with energy power.
"I have to say you're a hard bugger to find. But luckily for me, you are such an integral part of the timeline. That tracking and old farts ego like yours was in the end not that hard."
He had no idea what this woman was talking about but he was not happy.
"Who the &£*&) are you and why the O&*£O& am I here"
She nodded.
"Perfectly understandable questions, Overlord. If you chouse to let me show you?"
She was going to lie, an ego like this with a fate like the one waiting for him, would need a really big lie to cover this mess up in time and space. She was going to tell him the gods had sent her to show him an image of the empire as its start when it was great. To tell him that it can happen again. To tell you that all his hard work and his sacrifices so far were not in vain. The gods smile on him and his dismay would be great indeed. She could tell him he would believe it and soon a vast war would start. Millions of millions would die. At the end of it, this Overlord tyrant would blow his own brains out, while held up in this very palace with the remnants of his empire army, Young boys and old men. Who would drag his body out to the street for the invading colation armies to find. A person heated by history a foot note on how evil men fall. But what if...
"I'm here to show you your future and offer an alternative, of you come with me."
The Overlord walked out onto the old place balcony, at the right time and space. The massed army waited. Drilled and ready for orders. Below the Overlord's Generals waited. What was the plan, war or. The Overlord lifted up his hand the microphones came on, and the populous of the empire waited by radios for the proclamation. This dictator, the tyrant would in all probability lead the to war for his own aggrandizement and there was nothing anyone could do to stop him.
-------
Gift was back with the others, looking a little sheepish, O changing the old fart's mind had not been taht hard, a tweak here, some distilled life experience from her Village of minds. It's amazing how you can change someone's perspective on life or let them experience the full lives of others. A woman, wife and mother, and fisherman with a large family to feed, A historian and scholar school teacher, and a simple farmer, a poet. Gift and the overload spent what seemed like times talking and in the end, looking at history to come. Learning humility and compassion can be hard for a strong ego, but it can be done. Now history had a new hero, a leader who at the peak of his power, handed it all to the people and formed one of the greatest democracies the world had ever seen. One that went on to become a becan for others. Well until it fell but that was another story. Humans, they just cant help themselves. She mulled.
Arlo thanks Azzim for his complete health recovery.
Finally, with most of the mysteries of the plane solved, you activate your return device and arrive at The Spire in the Ghetto District of Sigil where Bethia greets you warmly and asks each of you to spend a week in rest and relaxation after all the strangeness you've experienced.
Removing the guise of Omdor, Arlo gives a little smile to Bethia. "Listen, Bethia. I need to check on the temporal disruption centered around my home. Once everything is comfirmed to be fine, and if I can, I'll return and take whatever relaxation methods you want. I need to check which wife I have waiting home for me", the dwarf said grimly. "GIFT, let's head home."
Gift nods and activates a plane shift to her pocket dimension rooms, from there a door linked to the family house in Sigil.
Coming into the house she handed her bag to one of the house robots and called out to her mother.
Who came were her two brothers, in small wheely buggy bounceles followed by her mother.
Lyra came into the room and went to her daughter, giving her a hug, and asked.
"Do you mind taking your brothers for lunch? We will be along for a while."
Gift eyes rolled up, after all this time her mother and father where still way to loviy-dovie.
"Come on you two, let's get some yummy veg and cake."
At the words of cake, the two boys grinned and went bugeing and bouncing after their big sister.
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Once the kids were gone, Lyra went to Arlo
Her look here
And lead him to their rooms where she took the time to run and bathe for him, placing a large towel by the bath.
"We have about half an hour, so you better wash and dry off fast"
She went into the darkened bedroom door, stopped looked back, and winked,
then entered the darkened room. Soon the sound of clothing being taken off and someone getting into bed followed.
GIFT and the twins are joined by Arlo and Lyra in a half hour's time. The android finds his father's grin insufferable.
Arlo leans over to GIFT and whispers, "No sign of the temporal anomaly."
The dwarf smiles as he sits down and eats with his family.
Fu<k off, Evil and Despair, the dwarf paladin proclaimed internally as he ate dinner.
Gift just grind, she loved her family deeply and loved the fact her mother and father were so close. Love and warmth. She helped break up her brother's food fighting and passed over the potatoes to her father.
"So mum and dad, I was thinking you two could do with a break, now the whole Timey-wimy thing has been fixed. I and the Nanibots will look after my brothers. And here"
She pulled out from below the table some Planes Cruse craft tour brochures. Handing them to her mother.
"Are some of the best Planes cruses setting off from Sigil this turn.
Prices are not so bad and some are all you can eat and drink Dad"
She pointed to one,
"This one I like the sounds of 'Visit the nine hells an all-included package'
she pointed to another
"or this one, 'a safari in the best realms'
Then the door bell rang, Gift jumped up.
"You don't mid do you I invented some others to join us"
Heads off to the front door.
Rollo returns the planar materials all back to the Guardian. The Sage even stays to reinforce any soft spots still present. He also attempts to locate the most used entrance by the Dark Traders for future reference.
Back at base, the dhampir gives his report, retires for the evening and eventually meets up at the Brighthammers for the party!
I brought the cupcakes.
Arlo met the dhampir at the door.
"Hello, Rollo. Nice to see you." the dwarf matriarch said. Arlo appears to be genuinely happy to see everyone.
"Okay. You will likely see a lot of different buttons and switches all over the place, right? Ask before pushing anything. We would want you to be sucked out into the void", Arlo chuckles.
The dwarf walks the dhampir over to the kitchen to set down the baked treats.
When they come back Lyra has moved over the meal over to the balcony.
The boys playing in a shallow water pool with Gift.
The house Bots came out and placed more food and drinks on the table.
ANd she adds.
"Yes our Sigil house has a Gate, to this space station. You went throw it as you came into that area of the Sigil house. Feel free to walk around but try not to press anything as my husband says. Something may open both doors on an airlock and well. The stations AI has most of the secured but you never know."
She waves at the view which is of Sigil.
"The view here is a holo projection of the real Sigil, We have CCTV around the house there and get live feeds to here."
Before they left, Azzim broached the subject of The Hartwig. "Given the damage it's done, I'm not keen on leaving it here. I'd like to think that perhaps in different circumstances it might live a less destructive life, so I'm wondering if we should take it back to Sigil. Thoughts?"
Back in Sigil, Azzim felt a deep wave of relief. His first mission for The Organization had gone about as well as he could have hoped for. Recognising the wisdom of Bethia's words he decided to spend an evening of ale and debauchery to let his hair before retreating to a spa to be pampered for a few days. After recovering from the inevitable hangover, he sent Terex a note via magical courier.
I heard about this pretty amazing cafe in The Lady's Ward, called The Dark Onyx. It specialises in experimental planar cuisine, you know dishes made with ice from Frostfell the para-elemental plane of ice, and beef seared by elementals from the plane of fire and spiced with exotic glowing chillis and spices from the first world - that kind of thing. Apparently each course is accompanied by an illusion to transport the diners to famous and exotic locals from across the planes. I'm told there's a year long waiting list but Bethia hooked me up with a couple of tickets...
Guardian notes that he's kept things mostly quiet but there have a few minor hiccups the party could help with - people and animals wandering and reaching different time lines and needing to be retrieved.
Terexaltherin does get a few telepathic questions in to the Guardian while they work, but the work is difficult enough he can't spare much focus to really dig into the topics he wanted to.
I do think trying to give the Hartwig a second chance at life in Sigil is a good idea, but we should avoid all mention of the Organization, the little dragon responds to Azzim. But we can probably use our contacts to offer some opportunities and see which they want to pursue.
Finally, because of all the anomalies, The Guardian calculates that you need to emerge slightly before you entered the realm. Once you emerge, you wait at the Giant's Garden and see this scene unfold and you can now emerge and greet Harclus (or simply remain hidden).
We should drop by briefly and tell Harclus that the anomalies should stop, but not say much more than that, Terexaltherin opines.
Finally, with most of the mysteries of the plane solved, you activate your return device and arrive at The Spire in the Ghetto District of Sigil where Bethia greets you warmly and asks each of you to spend a week in rest and relaxation after all the strangeness you've experienced.
Terexaltherin has a long list of subjects to research after his latest adventures, not to mention he's been starting to notice something strange is going on in his library. As he starts to study, he finds that books he was about to look for are often on shelves right next to him when he starts looking for them, rather than in their proper places. It is... actually kind of convenient, but also somewhat worrying.
Before he can delve too deeply into what's going on, though, he receives Gift's invitation to visit. He spends a moment looking longingly over his library before deciding that yes, he should probably come out and be social. He flies up to the door a little after Rollo and 'knocks' on the door with his telekinesis.
**Later...**
Terexaltherin gets Azzim's note and writes back. Sure, that sounds like fun! I think I've heard of that place, I'm pretty sure they even have seating options for people my size. You'd think in Sigil places would have to be ready to accomodate customers of all shapes and sizes but so many places only go down to gnome-sized. Anyway, yeah, I'll come!
Harclus Ver takes the party's comments calmly and says "Thank you, I continue to keep the guard for a while longer and eventually stop if all seems well. A strange story and suppose the closest we'll get to understanding this. Perhaps I will publish a monograph once I see all it done."
Later in the evening, Bethia and Kalgon the android show up at Lyra's part as well. When Bethia gets a bit tipsy, multicolored energy bubbles float around her and her tentacles weave in and out of these color inter-dimensional spheres while Kalgon falls into several pieces and resembles himself at times.
Meanwhile, Cordelia is able to find a secluded plane where the hartwig is unlikely to cause further harm...
Later, once everyone has a relaxing few days, Ari Shadowfire and Arjunara show up to each of your homes and invite you to another party. "This one is different, here you must be on your best behavior, alert but relaxed, keeping to your cover stories even as the other guests most likely will see them as being that..." and shes continues with further fine-point of diplomacy. The next day, everyone arrives at The Spire and Bethia's machinery transports you to the outskirts of Almery, where you proceed to the Fall Gala, where a multitude of colorful magicians, kings and noble on vacation or exile and other remarkable characters gather in a large, seemingly informal dinner party. Ari shows a hologram invitation at the door and the group fans out, chatting with a variety of remarkable people and creatures on the specific obscure, entertaining neutral topics that have been chosen for the event, from "cultivating Veenon bushes" to "the etymology of Obladian constellation names". As you wander the area, Ari describes the more impressive characters, their histories and crimes. "Iocuno, who knows who's locked in his basement..., Sandoval The Blue, leashed an army of demon cows once... " Arjunara comments.
And so the party learns something of the doing of the high level of multiversal movers and shakers. "This is how it is, these people and entities are neither good nor evil, they just move in the streams of power. I was like that myself for my first seven hundred years, 'till something roused me and I sought The Organization. Anyway, you have now seen them... Ari says afterwards and takes the part back to The Organization's Planar Machinery. On a two dimensional screen, she shows a terrain map.
"This is the realm of Gofthonan. So far as we know it's a planet, not a plane. However, it has both strong technological and magical aspects. It's not hard to reach at all in - but in the sense that each 'jump' costs the equivalent of 5,000 universal gold in diamond dust. As you can see, 3/4 of the land area polluted, rendered uninhabitable, some 200 years ago. This involved the unwisdom of a previous empires. Since that time, a variety of kingdoms, republics and empires have risen in the remaining land and produce a variety of interesting things. And since the plane can be relatively easily reached, a variety of interplanar embassies exist to buy these things. A common situation. Ari pauses, steps back. "The original disaster was terrible. Once there were elves on this world ... but no matter" Stops and looks at the map. "What does matter is that within the decimated area, our sensors picked up a planar quake, a vibration indicating there is something capable of extending Gofthonan's disaster to the local multiverse... something we wish to stop and which we believe the Dark Traders are attempting to accelerate... We are sending your group to investigate, after suitable research...
Gift stays home babysitting her Brothers, While Lyra goes with her Husband. She dresses as an attractive slave girl With a gold chain she offers her humans.
"We can't go as man and wife but as you bit on the side, I think that would be much more believable. O and when Gift saw the outfit she bust into fits of Laughter, that girl"
When they enter the party she plays the part.
Arlo walks in with Lady Lyra in a simple black and white space smuggler's outfit, complete with fake laser gun that makes 'pew-pew' noices. The dwarf paladin goes have The Arlosword strapped to his back, just in case.
"Well, no one's gonna looking at my ridiculous outfit with you standing next to me", Arlo whispers.
Later, attending Ari's mission meeting, Arlo leans in to talk with his android slave girl. "What do you think? Could you create some Gofthonan planar arms for us, but with a little technical edge? Maybe even some environmental suits as well to deal with the pollution? Feasible?"
"You know me so well my love, and some air con"
She hugs him
Azzim and Terex were shown to a private booth, with seats comfortable for their body sizes. The maitre d' informed them that this season's dining experience would transport them back a thousand years to the N'evarraz campaign, a famous episode in the blood war where the fiendish Prince Aalgorond the vicious cunningly triumphed over the far larger devilish hordes of Malbolge, ultimately crushing them and usering in an unprecedented three decades of peace while the hells licked their wounds.
Each of the dozen courses harked back to part of the campaign, and was accompanied by extremely well researched illusions. Each course was small but delicious and delivered with exaggerated pomp and circumstance by the staff. Naturally it was psychoactive, all the better to fully help diners appreciate the illusions. At the end of the meal it was said that diners would have experienced and eaten their way through an unforgettable slice of history.
Afterwards Azzim told Terex, "So what do you reckon? Did this place live up to the hype?"
Azzim found the party wasn't entirely to his taste, he felt like he was walking on eggshells the whole time.
Once Ari broached the subject of the disaster that struck Gofthonan he said, "So this disaster happened two hundred years ago? That's not so long ago in the grand scheme of things, I wonder if we can track down some witnesses?"
I'll see what I can find in the way of books on the subject of Gofthonan! Terexaltherin suggests excitedly.
He goes through his usual sources, including his own library, looking for anything covering the history of the world in question.
During the event in Almery, Lyra and Arlo are approached by an outlandish figures who themselves as Omalisha Mathena. Tall, thin, pale and of some unknown humanoid race and uncertain gender, they are wearing a black and white covered with runes and cartoon faces that shift position and expression as Omalisha earnestly spoke on various obscure subjects... They manage to make topics like collecting the stamps of Zygon System interesting and hand the two an invitation to their next private party, in their private manor house made entirely of paper, in six months time (Almery and Sigil run on the same time frame)...
Sensing some people being a bit uncomfortable after the dinner party in Almery, Ari takes you to midnight coffee at another underground club in Sigil and keeps you entertained with humorous anecdotes about the bedroom habits of various immortals, both historical figures and some of the individuals at the recent party...
Later, when Azzim begins research, he is able to discover some number of refugees from the Gofthonan disaster in an obscure corner of Sigil itself. Lofit Tanner describes being a mid level executive at an advertising firm in Forn, a city of 20 million. The disaster involved something briefly called black fire which apparently quickly spread over wide area changed or destroying virtually everything. Lofit escaped first by going into a deep basement and then flying a plane into an uninhabited zone. "I'm not sure what caused the effect - conflict of different powers, unwise experiments in magic or chemistry, some enemy... The effect spread over 75% of the planet's area but wiped out nearly 95% of the population. The only hope was escape to another plane or planet. I was quite lucky... Is there anything else I can tell you?" and Lofit has done well for himself, being able to afford regular life-extending boosters as an employee of the Interplanar Trade Consortium.
"This one going to need someone back in the Lab, my love, I will need samples taken and also readings to form the location so I can craft your HAZMAT / EVA Armored-suit. Not a simple thing. I will power up the printers ready and ping Gift."
Soon Gift joins them.
The gift is in a simple black outfit,
"Hi Mater and Pater, tell the wigwag, Berks got us Bloods in the Gully again?"
She says in Sigil slang. Winking at her mum.
"By the way you look amazing mum, you do something with her hair?"
Lyra shoots her daughter a look for that cheeky comment.
And replays in kind.
"Stop the Screed and Sit, get that brainbox of yours into the Chatter"
Then added the android Mother to her Elan Daughter with a grin.
"And yes if you must ask, this outfit will not be a fixture. I much prefer a lab coat."
"And yes if you must ask, this outfit will not be a fixture. I much prefer a lab coat."
The dwarf interjects. "Aye! But you will be wearing that again, for me later."
Terex doesn't find any direct references to Gofthonan in his library (but there are texts without complete indices in the library and he hasn't read everything or even every index...). He does find a single reference in the obscure text Notes On Unimaginable Experimentation. It has an entry for Gofthonan under Fusion Of Magic And Technology and lists Black Glass as the result as well as several other columns (Allies: Inahane, Mordan: Bisselban, school: conjuration, vessels: metallic neutronium).
Lyra is able to design an standard radiation suit for Gofthonan quite easily but a bit of research indicates that decimated landscape indeed has conventional neutron radiation but also unknown other effects and dangers (life drain dust is mentioned by some explorers).