(<Shimmer> gives the impression that this is definitely a gateway to the rest of rest of the complex you're trying to explore)
Rollo smiles. Speaking to rats seems to be something the dhampir has not experienced...
So, fellas, tell me what really motivates your boss?
Rollo reaches for some popcorn, nodding to Gift in appreciation.
Terex must be having a good run...
Oh, even though it's out here...? Maybe it's a back door! A hint of excitement and maybe even mischief creeps into Terex's mental voice. We're probably doing things way out of order for their little puzzles. So I probably can't just talk my way through... but what's the fun in not trying? <Shimmer>, can you let me speak telepathically through your view? Or will you have to open a window for me to speak through?
He repositions himself to be somewhere inconspicious and makes sure <Shimmer> isn't visible before giving the orb the go-ahead to connect him with the gate guardian.
Good day, sir, he 'says' to the guardian. I apologize for interrupting your work, but I wanted to ask if I've fulfilled all the requirements for passing through your gate? I've been working on these riddles, but it's a bit fuzzy to me if something's supposed to happen if you figure them out.
Rats speaking with Rollo (and the party aside from Terex). "Hrmph, I'll have you know, Estes isn't our boss...seems to think better about continuing. "...we can't about the task, sorry...
Terex channels the power of <Shimmer> to open the portal (pulling a bit of power from the other party members)... the spirit looks up, "Why hello, welcome.... The spirit nods as Terex greets him, "Why, naturally I can't give away any passwords but if you've come this far, I will give you a run-down on the entrance conditions. The authenticated stamp of one the great houses along with the proper password is the most common way through. One of the great gems with a password also. If you have a letter of introduction, I can examine it and get back to you, it may take a week or two. A class A riddle may be good for one time entrance - I will judge. As a fellow magical creature, I wish you good luck." He goes back to his papers.
A class A riddle, eh? Well you must get a lot, so I'm not sure I've got any quite that quality at the moment. Looks like I've still got a bit of work to do before I can get through. Anyway, good sir, I thank you for your time.
Terex closes the portal and heads back to the park. He approaches stealthily, taking his time to work his way towards the area in the park that <Shimmer> had gotten a sense of something strange going on around.
Stands and dusts herself off,
"Well this was fun but I think I need to have a look around from Above."
Then she powers up her defy gravity powers and double moves up 150' stands there a moment in mid-air then dose it again. In a minute she is 1500' up looking over the city 10 mins later she is 3 miles up looking over the city.
Rollo nods in understanding to the rats. The Sage will bow to Terex' path to progress. It does sound like more fun!
Without apparent effort, Lucien takes off straight up after Gift. He isn't as fast, but is eventually able to catch up to her. He looks around, unsure if she is looking for something specific.
"Hey, no need to run off by yourself. It's always good to have someone who can watch your back. What are we doing up here, by the way?"
Gift is puzzling over something
She sits cross-legged in the air contemplating the city far below.
"O hello Blue, sorry Rats give me the creeps, and talking rats having a pic-Nik with you. I just could only take so much you know."
She unfolds and flips onto her belly looking down at the city.
"As for what I'm doing up here. This city is odd, in fact, I'm thinking too odd. Today I read a large number of books on such obscure things it was all but meaningless. And that got me thinking. Way back on the island we entered a pocket dimension. I can't help but think we never left, that coming here we entered a complex trap set by the Dark-plane-destroyers. This place is a little too complex like it was designed to keep us enthralled with endless and pointless puzzles. so much so that we never ask if any of t is real."
She grins at him.
"Well I'm asking, could this place be mining our minds to populate itself, Case in point the museum has items just a little too familiar in it. Then a book to keep our lord all hot and bothered now talking rats, and Orb that has a little Dragan captivated, it's all so enticing. Sorry, Blue, my mother gave a large chunk of Paranoia as a safety feature, But even if she had not, things just do not add up here."
She takes a long hard look at the Island city 15,000 feet below.
The sun shines from the Western horizon, the city is strangely distorted and, looking around more carefully, Gift realizes ... her apparent height is the product of some spatial distortion field native to this plane... She seemed go quickly higher yet she is still underneath the gray clouds that blanket the city at about a thousand foot height, still she has a fine view of the strange area...
Even more, looking up, Blue notices a particular quality to these clouds... they're solid, a kind of cloud that's often used as a platform in the elemental plane of air and other air-aligned planes. And he can see a entrance that might just go to the top of the cloud platform.
Terex can rejoin the Barlo, Minna and Rollo at the picnic table, where the rats have opened up a bit and are talking about the quality of food they can find in various sewer areas. Murius, the leader, is telling another rat he's sure the scraps one butcher throws out are human flesh...
The park is a small triangular area, 40' x 50', with aesthetically arranged stone benches, paths and bushes, with a metal fence surrounding it. The storm sewer/drain entrances are immediately outside it.
And the stones is giving the feeling it nearly has a planar opening.
The intelligent rats seem to be there to watch your progress and Rollo is having a picnic to distract and frustrate them (I presume, the clever mind of Rollo is subtle).
Terex keeps out of sight of the rats, but gets close enough to telepathically pass on what he's found to the group. Well, the part of the group that's still on the ground.
Rollo continues to appreciate the ambiance of this magnificent setting for an inquiry.
Terex, how goes your investigation? Interesting, indeed. Shall we take the obvious choice of entry; or, attempt to interpret another?
The dhampir laughs. He is certain which he would pick....
The park is a small triangular area, 40' x 50', with aesthetically arranged stone benches, paths and bushes, with a metal fence surrounding it. The storm sewer/drain entrances are immediately outside it.
And the stones is giving the feeling it nearly has a planar opening.
Well, we could look for some really good riddles, or we could hunt for a password. I'll bet if we identify some more spots like these we could stake them out and see some interesting people go back and forth. We might even be able to hear some passwords, though we'd still have to grab a stamp or a gem. Or maybe we should actually pay some attention to three-ball and see if we can get invited in that way.
Lucien freezes as he notices the strangeness of the local clouds. He points at the apparent entrance. "Look there. There's a passageway. These clouds are similar to some that are used back home, on the Plane of Air, I mean, as platforms to build on. We might be able to get up to it. Do you want to try, or go back for the others first?" he says, with a glance back downward.
"Really let me see, O yes your right"
She tries to get closer but something is stopping her.
"There is some kind of displacement field stopping me from getting closer, hold on. I think I can dimension jump past it"
She activates her Mech-Bikes recall, within a few minutes the bike shoots up to her and she gets on.
"Get on the back, if I push with Spidy and then do this... we can fold the space between here and there."
Gift and Blue hop past the dimension distortion effect and into the fuzzy tunnel within the solid cloud. As the two go up the tunnel, it's texture changes from cotton candy to dirt to stone and you find yourselves walking up an old stone staircase ... the staircase lead in a square spiral upward for about 50' and you emerge out a simple opening onto a rolling, semi-wild landscape, with rolling hills, oaks, poplars, grass and shrubs... not quite a forest ... though if squint, you notice the topography is similar to that of the Syranix you just left. Also, you notice eight mansions or castles spread around the landscape as well as smaller stone builds and various statues and ruined stonework. The closest mansion is several miles away. The sky is especially notable - uniformly glowing and is covered by a series of multicolored tiles that slowly turn, like a kaleidoscope. The two look around. Serious investigation might take a while.
Gift and Blue have gone up and vanished entirely to those on the ground.
"Blue, we need the others, come on let's head back"
If blue is happy to she will fold space him back and the head back to the ground.
Coming back into view Gift and Glue are riding her Mech-Bike down at a crazy rate. It slows as it gets close to the team on the ground. Comming to a stop just a few feet from them.
"Your never going to belive what we found"
Rollo takes another delicious bite of his panini. The dhampir then thinks about the myriad of possible entries to the Upper Echelon Estates.
Riddles, while fun and entertaining, are notoriously freeform. Too many possible meanings from too many differing perspectives. While, I...
The Sage stops in mid sentence when Blue and Gift appear (quite excited and a bit road dusted) in front of them.
I suspect that the two of you are having a grand time in the park?
Rollo then addresses the Rats.
You may depart back to your Master. Tell him what progress we made. We shall wait here for your return, before continuing.
Once the rats depart (with a wheel of Cheddar!), Rollo looks at the two returning Agent.
Do tell...
"Right. Up there." he says, pointing skyward. "There's a cloud that's a solid platform. On the Plane of Air, we use clouds like that to build on. We saw an opening and checked it out. There's definitely land on the other side; rolling hills, some woods, and eight separate mansions. The sky above that is weird too, it's hard to explain. It looks like a kaleidoscope, kind of."
"O Riddles, fun, What can pass through cities, village,s, and fields, and yet never moves?"
Roads; or fences, so you see my point.
The leader of the rats grumbles but departs slowly...
As Blue describes the area that he and Gift has discovered, Terex and Rollo's thoughts go back to The Sad Heart of the Ruby. This fits the description of ... the deepest level of Syranix, the area the protagonist found and then lost forever. Seemingly, this is a fabulous find. While this level is primarily exclusive mansions where entry is hard, it may be less of a riddle than this area. And you are here on assumption that the phylactery of Marcinalious is in one of these mansions...
"Now we all just have to figure out how to fly" Minna comments. She seems to be thinking of something.
You know, if we want to converse without being heard I can just relay conversation back and forth, Terex points out when Rollo tries to get the rats to leave.
He perks up at the report of what Gift and Blue had found. A back door! Exciting! Though it almost seems too easy... well, for people who can fly, he adds, apologetically.
Really, though, it's not flying up there that's the problem, it's flying without drawing too much attention. I'm sure Armaund could get those of us who don't have other ways to fly up there, but... I don't think a dragon flying around would go unnoticed the way a couple people did. But it does make me wonder why it's there. Maybe it's a way for some of the noble families to smuggle things between layers without the others knowing?
We could probably get some [i]scrolls of fly if we want a simple way of getting all of us up there. We'll want to be careful, though, since they might have ways of detecting that we're uninvited at that layer.[/i]
You've seen people using the fly spell off and on over the time you've been in the city so flying by itself isn't something that would raise eyebrows. A dragon, on the other hand, yeah, that might.
Once the picnic ends, you return to your compound in the sports complex. Armaund went out separately and also just returned. He listens to your description of finding the tunnel to an upper area. "I visited the great gambling hall. I believe this would be an important place to perhaps contact these "inner nobles", though I have only some hunches. Keeping an eye on this "drug furniture" also sounds like an interesting prospect. But your hole in the sky seems like the most promising. And while I can become invisible through magic, I suspect in this city, some number of people can see through this. So perhaps finding a different way to fly would be in order."
Minna comments, "I can create two constructs at time. I could create two flying devices, for perhaps me and Arlo. That would get us all airborne, I think..."
Armaund says: "I could remain here and continue the investigation of the gambling hall. A day or two might be enough to investigate your area. One thing to consider. You say it was a semi-wild area with occasional buildings? Why would it be like that? These people seem to have fabulous wealth. Why not have a garden?"
Kn (planes )
Kn (Local)
Kn (nobility)
she swages about.
"Seen lodes of bodies flying, all over the city and as we were heading up. As for Nob Hill, I bet it's for hunting, them toffs do so like terrorizing other organics, in as barbaric a way possible."
Rollo feels as if he should be more knowledgeable about the Nobility, but, alas, the Sage seems to actually be stumped!
Getting up there will not be the problem. I have spells that should be of use. The question is; do we want to go there to investigate as ourselves? That may cause questions, as to why are we there. Or do we go in disguised, undetected, or otherwise to search for clues to which House the phylactery is held?
The dhampir shakes his head.
We need to narrow down to which House; before we go up there, I believe.
Ugh, hunting, Terex comments. If it were just me I'd be fairly confident in being able to hide and scout around, but... most of you aren't tiny dragons that are used to avoiding the attention of bigger things that might try to eat them.
You know... they must have servants that bring things up through there or something. We could watch for that and see if we can get some info that way?
He looks around. Or maybe we should actually practice some three-ball, if we're going to keep using this as an excuse to hang around town.
So,
Frustrated with clues that are suggestive but hard to interpret, the party decides to throw itself into 3-ball practice for the next two days (you spent the last four days combing the city and practice before the tournament is probably a good idea). Armaund will also be spending some time in Great Gambling Hall. Several other teams have been practicing since arrival and you notice their significant skill.
During the afternoon of the first day, at about 2:00 pm, a group of four strangers appears in the booth overlooking the field. They're some demi-human race - maybe half-elves but it's uncertain. Three males and a female. They're dressed in finely made gray wool jackets and breeches with simple silk shirts. Their faces are thin, angular, bearing something like an strong family resemblance to each other. They watch your play with subdued interest while sipping green wine from crystal glasses they brought for the occasion. At about 2:20, you take a break and the group is still there, observing you coolly and chatting with each other.
(this is happening at the sporting complex where you are staying)
Terex works on improving his "Dart in and out between the big people" strategy, trusting to his speed and small size to let him avoid notice when it's valuable to do so and suddenly 'appear' somewhere unexpected.
I'm probably not the best choice for talking with these folks, Terex comments, telepathically indicating the group of four and somehow managing to layer the impression of a glance at Rollo in his 'speech'.
As the party, on break, sitting on benches by the field, also looks cautiously and appraisingly at the four strangers, two of the group, a male and the female, stand up and approach you. As they get closer, closer, it's clear they aren't ordinary half-elves but perhaps some form of fey-blooded humans.
The female, greets you with the standard protocol of Syranix, "Good day, I am Ermina and this Gerana, pardon us for any intrusion, the preparations of the three-ballers are of great interest to us. She pauses for a second, looking somewhat appraisingly at the group. Then the one introduced as Gerana continues We are impressed by your skill, you make the complex sport seem effortless... another pause, looking at you. Ermina continues More to the point, you have an air of ones beyond just noble sportsmen and we were wondering if you might be interested extra work. Gerana immediately continues. A friend of ours, an important person, might be in some danger before or during an upcoming match and we would wonder if you would be willing to provide some "security" for her. Ermina: Having players who could do this would be most convenient. You would be ostensibly at the game merely to compete, so you could be low key Gerana: Apologies to be blunt and to point. It is part of our job to be able to sense those who can ... handle themselves effectively. If this task works out, we can offer you several more jobs as well. Ermina: We can offer you a much better match-up than your current one. There would be danger and even violence but I sense you are familiar with this.
She sits with her dad, siping from a tube of Ninite food. She has on her 'plying kit' which seems to be little more than a bodysuit. She Today has all been about perfecting her 'hit-em-hard' tactics now the other players know she is not a pushover. The best part was working on combos with dad.
Terex politlely introduces himself according to standard protocol but otherwise restricts his telepathic discussion to his companions.
I say we take the job, but keep an eye out for a trap, he suggests. Maybe haggle a bit on the pay. We don't want to seem too eager to take the job. But having some local contacts is good, if this works out.
Sipping on his Arnold Palmer, enjoying the practice bouts, blue eyes scanning those that come and go; Roll Qantas grins once the dhampir lays eyes on the Fantastic Four!
Rollo takes a casual sip of his Tea.
We may have some interesting friends to socialize with.
When the two throw caution to the wind; approaching the group, the dhampir grins at them.
Welcome, my friends! We are honored to include you in this afternoon's delights!
The Noble proceeds to order many fine lunch dishes, bizarre liquid beverages (both alcoholic and more alcoholic) and even some local band to play for them.
He listens to their plea with keen ears.
Lucien spends his time trying to coordinate tactics with the other flying team members, and and arrange for the ways they can best help their ground-bound comrades. He doesn't feel that he's done an especially good job, but hopefully an adequate one.
While continuing to scrimmage with the team, Barlo adds to the telepathic conversation.
Ergina and her kin are the first clues to this place I like. We should encourage this 'alliance'.
While good quality food and drink isn't that common in the sport complex, words to the street vendors nearby is sufficient to fetch an impromptu feast featuring fresh vegetables, mushrooms, cheeses, sweat meats and wine appropriate to the mid summer season. Ermina and Gerana introduce their companions Renon and Fenmon, who remain reserved, making relatively a few comments. Still, the four are polite and gracious and the afternoon passes very pleasantly.
Ermina and Gerana speak poetically and abstractly of sports, gambling and life and Syranix, managing to make rather little definite but giving a pleasant air in always-sunset light of the city. When a nearby troubadour is engaged, Fenmon sings along with the traditional song in a rich baritone.
What they do make definite: they will arrange a game for you, one day later, at a more exclusive court, below the Great Gambling Hall. You will be secretly there to protect Madame Brophes, their employer. There will almost certainly be an assassination attempt before or during the game and you should be able to thwart it - the Madame will have her magical protections but they need you to deal with the assassins.
They can offer 10gp equivalent but they note that being Madame Brophes' favor would also a significant reward.
One thing Rollo is able to pick-up. While the group's request is quite reasonable, they almost certainly aim to give the impression the party is aligned with their faction - what their faction is (and they don't give away much).
Stays with Arlo and does what he says
I suppose that we could attend the party as guest of Madame Brophe for an expedition. Gift will be in charge of security. I shall myself, of course, be given a seat at her table, along with Blue. The others shall be in the area for the game. Sounds fun.
I don't much like not knowing who we're aligning ourselves with, but I still think this is a good opportunity, Terex says. One way or another we're going to be getting involved in Syrinax politics, and I suspect the way they're structured it's very hard to know what you're getting into before you're already in it.
Terex will do his best to stay fairly close to the Madame when the time comes, trusting in his Blindsense to pick up any potentially invisible assassins or the like.
So, with the arrangement made over wine and music, the party goes back to practice and promises to be in touch in two days, early in the morning.
That evening, Armaund returns from the Great Gambling and you fill him in the plan - he's happy and looking forward to the opportunity. He mentions that he doesn't think he can assume dragon form in the Hall so he won't as effective but acting as body is quite doable and he's looking forward to meeting your contact. The next day, your contacts with the Sports Adjudicants appear and confirms your changed match.
The next day, The Day of Wheat (the equivalent of Monday), Ermina comes takes you down to Arena #2 (of 5) in the Great Gambling Hall. Before leaving, Ermina cautions you, "Please, no mention of any arrangement we have, we will just be socializing before the match begins, understood?". Then she leads you to the Hall.
None of you but Armaund have been here. Approaching you realize this is the largest single building in Syranix and tremendously luxurious. A wide variety of humanoids roam the main hall and Ermina carefully guides through a network of rooms to a guard stationed at the stairs leading down to Arena #2. The guard greets her and with a nod lets the party and her in. The stairs spiral all the way down to the arena - it is approximately two hours until the game itself begins but refreshments, talk and betting are happening. You see Madame Brophes along with Gerana, Renon and Fenmon on one side of the arena as other small groups congregate in other corners. Madame Brophes seems to be other same ethnicity as the others but large, rotund and elegant. She engages the party in conversation about 3-ball, gambling, and the beauty of Syranix architecture as other spectators filter in over the next two hours. Ermina, Gerana, Renon and Fenmon move to allow you to be closest to Madame Brophe.
Naturally, the group remains quietly on it's guard throughout but match time approaches and the other team appears on the opposite side of the arena, no threats appear. Then, ten minutes before the match start, when the call to enter the field is about to be made, a gigantically fat, large man (or maybe ogre) walks into the arena on your side and seem immediately become sick, collapsing and vomiting near your group - it takes only second for you realize he is growing and transforming into sort of creature (what kind is less certain) and he/it is tumbling directly toward Madame Brophes. It may take the spectators a little bit to understand the situation but this is clearly the threat (or a threat, you keep eyes for further threats though none yet). You have the dilemma that if you act too soon, you draw the wrath of the guards yourselves.
Gif had her security bots out, tucked away, and keeping an eye on what's going on, she sat next to the target with a small screen in her hand.
Before the game, she has laid out a number of plans and told the others to place themselves around the arena. Arlo, she places in location 2, a safe spot should an attack be made. His task, keep her safe it it became apparent they had been compromised at the prime target site.
"Be advised, We have a group of silver-clad elves on the other side of the arena taking a keen interest in us".
Then as the fat man pops she sees the threat at once.
"Proximity threat probably diversion, keep tacking the elves. Removing target to location 2"
She places her hand on Madame Brophes arm and they are gone.
Helping Madame Brophes in the seat next to her father, she grins at him
"prime target site compromised, she is all yours"
"Target with Barlo, switching back to active"
Then she is gone, porting away.
Before the game, she has laid out a number of plans and told the others to place themselves around the arena. Arlo, she places in location 2, a safe spot should an attack be made. His task, keep her safe it it became apparent they had been compromised at the prime target site.
Helping Madame Brophes in the seat next to her father, she grins at him
"prime target site compromised, she is all yours"
"Target with Barlo, switching back to active"
Then she is gone, porting away.
Barlo sheepishly smiles back at his secret android daughter. I forget how freakishly smart GIFT is. Just like her mother.
The professional 3-Ball player-turned-adventurer turned to Madame Brophes.
"Whatever happens, Madame Brophes, stay behind me. I undersdtand you know the facility well. What is the best exit from this point out to the street, or is there a underground tunnel we can use should we need to?"