Terex relays the idea along to <Shimmer>, along with some slightly over-the-top ideas of his own as to what a 'quite elegant door' might look like.
He's a bit nervous about how this is turning out. Elon is using them, he's sure, but the question is, is he using them in a way they want? It's reasonable that he'd believe they were the best option out of all the people chasing him, but... he knew they hadn't been playing all that well on the table, so he couldn't help but wonder if Elon was still plotting something.
Rollo prepares to depart with Elon.
Well all ends well.
The dhampir nods his appreciation to the host.
We grant you our respect and gratitude for allowing this solution. Good day.
The Sage then shows his winning hand before rising to depart.
Git folds and takes any of her winnings in hand.
"Well it seems the fun is over"
Standing she walks over to her father and slips her arm through his.
Looking at the others in the room she says.
"I think ist time to leave Pater, Mater us expecting is"
She looks up at blue.
::"Blue I want to invite you to my home once we get back to Sigal, mom is a wiz with tech so she would live to see your prosthetics. You never know she may be able to help you upgrade."::
Blue is of course invisible, but through the link Gift can tell he's smiling. I will be delighted to meet her.
So, with some negotiations and then some fan fare, <shimmer> opens a red, padded, velvet door and Elon steps through appearing nervously (though what he really feels is anyone's guess), the party repays their debt, Elon's debt and is left with three "time tokens", translucent gray-black disks like small sand dollars.
The Croupier congratulates the party, "It's a pleasant doing business with your group, whoever you represent ..." and then it's time to leave this private room. As you towards the ivory exit door, two or three faces glance your way (out of the 20-30 strange gamblers and employees in the room) and the Croupier's appearance fades to become a vague shadow. Then you enter the larger hall, still swarming with nameless intrigue, and finally leave the way you came, emerging to gray-brown landscape of the Pillars and then going back along stony path you came on. On the way back, a black Sphinx flies above you and breathes a threatening stream of fire but when Armaund bellows back a larger cone of fire, it goes on it's way.
Finally, you reach your starting place and search around for the entrance Bethia described. After some time of searching (even with your astounding observation abilities), you find stairs spiraling up and into a pillar and ascending these, you find yourselves on some twisting mountain paths of a known interdimensional gateway system. And with this area not dimensionally locked, you can finally gate to the Organization's incoming demi-plane, which resembles a large root cellar with rough cement walls, a dirt floor and various trap-doors up. Emerging from there to The Organization's Operations Center, you are greeted by Cordelia and Bethia, who are currently the main Organization contacts in Sigil, with the rest of your normal contacts (including Ari) away on a special mission (more later on that). Cordelia takes your reports, tells you to rest for a week (or more using time-dilation) and then be prepared to run support or jump into the mission, depending on how it proceeds. Bethia transports Elon to one of The Organization's more secure private planes and says she'll wait for Ari to return to interrogate him.
Lyra had set her home come workshop up in the Guildhall ward, it was close to the good shops and just down the street was Xanist’s Invention Shop. She felt it was always good to be close to others crafting things.
The shop come lab come home, was a three-story minimalist form, white and gray, it was blocky with angles and geometric lines. The windows were refective so from the outside one could not see in.
once inside there was a lot more space than one would expect, most of all below street level, where a large lap was laid out with side rooms and workshops. Humming in the center of this space was a fusion core, powering the house.
But ley had been spending more time now resing up, she was due anytime now and was worrying over where her husband and daughter were.
She had set up the Med-dock to deal with the birth of the twins, but she really wanted Arlo to be there. She so she could scream at him.
She smiled to herself as she lay on their bed.
come on Arlo where are you?
Gift arrived back in Sigil, She handed in her report data books. But even in the debrief, she tried to keep close to her father. She did not want to leave his side as they made their way home.
Rollo spends most of his time studying the time tokens.
What exactly can we do with these, I wonder?
GIFT could see the determination in Arlo's face once the mission was officially completed. Every since the exit of the Pillars, the dwarf paladin had been checking the pocket watch Lyra gave him constantly.
Arlo walks with Purpose as he leaves the demiplane for the streets of Sigil. "GIFT, I'm counting on you to act as messenger to The Organization to let them know of Lyra's status, and when visitations will be allowed", The Hero of Žemėia explained. "And if possible, run interference from our House to The Organization. I will not leave Lyra alone on these crucial weeks after childbirth. If I have to shove my fist into Ari's face for the point to get across, I WILL!" Arlo ended with a dwarven bark.
Her dad could move fast as he walked to Crafting Hall ward.
"Yes Dad, blue can help me, I asked him over if that is ok. We will keep out of your way."
She sent a message to blue
::"Blue give it a day then come visit I will need you help doing something for Dad"::
As they get home they can see armed turrets have been put in place.
The house greets them.
"Welcome back Master Arlo, Miss Gift, I have informed the lady of the house. She asks that Master visits her in thier bedroom. Miss Gift you room is ready for you"
Doors open as they get close showing the way to their rooms.
Gift smiles a nerves smile at her Dad,
"Tell mum I will be up later, once you to have had a chance to talk"
She hugged him and left for room.
Arlo rushes to Lyra's bedside, kneeling before her. Placing his hands on her, the dwarf began to rattle on. "Lyra. My love. I'm back. How are you? Are you alright? I came as soon as my legs could carry me."
She gleams and seems to glow when he comes in, something more than just motherhood and pride. Its as if the Babies inside her can feel the divine presence of their father. She looks back up at Arlo, she passed his hand and kisses it, holding it to her face. She looks down at her belly as it glows.
"Yes we need to talk about that, but later, I'm fine and any day now my love. So we best keep it has hugs and kisses for now."
She full well-knowns what may be on his mind, there are few things sexier than a soon to be a mother. But this late in the day she just wanted his company, contact and rest, and of course the off diet change. Like Black dragon scale powder and gold flakes.
"So how was your trip, tell me all about it and how our Daughter did. I note she looks somewhat older. Pass me the milkshake love"
She waits for him to hand it to her and she leans up in the bed drinking some of the odd-looking stuff, was that gold flakes.
Leaning back she says
"Go on tell me all about it"
Now in her room Gift flopped on the bed.
"House can you send a message to blue, tell him he can come over now if he wants to. O and make a room up for him please."
She looked up at the light hitting the ceiling from the window.
"House, tell me what plans mum has put in place for the birth"
Soon she has a shocked look on her face and runs out of her room.
She gleams and seems to glow when he comes in, something more than just motherhood and pride. Its as if the Babies inside her can feel the divine presence of their father. She looks back up at Arlo, she passed his hand and kisses it, holding it to her face. She looks down at her belly as it glows.
"Yes we need to talk about that, but later, I'm fine and any day now my love. So we best keep it has hugs and kisses for now."
She full well-knowns what may be on his mind, there are few things sexier than a soon to be a mother. But this late in the day she just wanted his company, contact and rest, and of course the off diet change. Like Black dragon scale powder and gold flakes.
Arlo chuckles a bit. "Oh. That's fine, dear. You are in too delicate a state for that. Besides, from what I've heard, Intimacy is the first casualty of new parents. Followed by Sleep. I'll likely take care of that myself later."
"So how was your trip, tell me all about it and how our Daughter did. I note she looks somewhat older. Pass me the milkshake love"
She waits for him to hand it to her and she leans up in the bed drinking some of the odd-looking stuff, was that gold flakes.
Arlo reaches for the milkshake. The dwarf notices the odd smell from the cup. The paladin takes the lid off and looks at it quickly, then puts the lid back on and hands it to the expectant Lyra.
"What's with the flakes? What is that stuff?"Leaning back she says
"Go on tell me all about it"
Arlo goes into detail of the mission with the Riders. The dwarf also talked at length about the advanced technology used by the religious faction, thinking Lyra would be interested in that. Arlo discussed Elon, The pillars, and possibly meeting a future version of Rollo.
"But that doesn't matter right now", Arlo said with smile. "If you'll permit me, I'll get out of this heavy armor, take a bath, then wait on you hand and foot until, during, and after the births."
If Arlo gets the go-ahead to bathe, the dwarf will send his android daughter in to visit her mother.
Gift comes into the room in a rush.
"Tomorrow, you're going to have my brothers tomorrow! and with members of Dad's faith there. Induced wh..."
She stops as she sees her mother's belly glowing now from the inside, Gift seems to have a hundred questions going throw her head.
Lyra rubbered her belly,
"Well dear it seems our daughter has beaten me to the news, not sit both of you and I will tell you what is happening."
She waits until they do.
"About a month ago I noticed odd things, the glow which had only just started and the hunger for off things. Like gold and powdered jet. Hose show the current scan please."
An image comes into being before them, a womb with two boy dwarf babies. There is no mistake they are dwarven true, not half dwarves.
"Ye that was the 1st thing I could not explain, They have both our dad's DNA yet they are ture Dwavwn."
Up came blood and other scans all normal.
"I was at a loss, everything is fine yet my hunger and their form. Then it hit me, you have a factor I can't scan for. So I sent a message to your faith dear, the next day high ranking Paladin came with a number of clerics and a blind Oracle. They will be here tomorrow for they must be here so you can ask them more but the gist of it is"
She played an image of the divinations they had done.
"My dear your divinity has been passed on. and we will be having two children of prophecy. What Prophecy we will not know what that is until the oracle of your faith holds them tomorrow."
She looks over at him,
"This body was not made to have dwarven children. So tomorrow I will use the auto doc and the healing of your clerics to have our babies. And the Oracle will oversee a ceremony of your faith. What that will be I don't know."
Then she looks worried.
"BUT! It must be like this, the oracle said if not, then great harm would come."
She leaned back onto the bed.
"Gift can you me and dad some time"
Gift nodded and left
"About a month ago I noticed odd things, the glow which had only just started and the hunger for off things. Like gold and powdered jet. Hose show the current scan please."[/p]
An image comes into being before them, a womb with two boy dwarf babies. There is no mistake they are dwarven true, not half dwarves.
[b]"Ye that was the 1st thing I could not explain, They have my and your dad's DNA yet they are they seem Dwarven."
Up came blood and other scans all normal.
Arlo walks closer to the floating image of his two unborn dwarven boys.
"They look..so healthy!" The dwarf's eyes began to well. "I was so worried. For So Long.""I was at a loss, everything is fine yet my hunger and their form. Then it hit me. I sent a message to your faith dear, and a high ranking Paladin came with a number of clerics."
She played an image of the divinations they had done.
"It seems my dear your divinity has been passed on. They will be here tomorrow for they must be here. For my dear, we will be having two children of prophecy. And will not know what that is until the oracle of your faith holds them."
She looks over at him,
"This body was not made to have dwarven children. So tomorrow I will use the auto doc and the healing of your clerics to have our babies in a ceremony of your faith."
then she looks worried.
"It must be like this, for the oracle said if not great harm would come, Also you must name them, there and then, to fix the property"
She leaned back onto the bed.
"Gift can you give us some time"
Wordlessly, Arlo watches his dutiful daughter leave the room with a worried look. Blinking away his own worries, the soon-to-be dwarven father knelt down at the head of Lyra's bed. He cupped his hand beneath his wife's head.
"And my healing too. I will do everything in my power to make sure so see the other side of this, my love."Overcome, Arlo reached toward to hug his expectant wife. "We are gonna be One Big Happy Family! Prophecy or no! Oh Gods! I love you so much, Lyra! My brave girl!"
She hugged him back,
"I know husband I know, I was so worried without you. And this is beyond my skills. This is other, a planes thing."
He can hear the worry in her voice.
"One big happy family, no matter what, that is what we will always be."
She kissed his head.
"But I really think you need to contact your Oracle and find out more about this. The more you know the more you can help. She was very insistent that this had to be done this way. To keep our babies safe as they grow."
Then she just hugs him and crys, all the worry coming out, Soon she is is deep asleep. and From the glow he can see his sons move and then rest, they too seem to be asleep.
Arlo looked up at the still open screen showing the two dwarf boys still in their mother's womb. They look like the boys be identical to each other.
"Well", Arlo coughed, clearing his throat of it's emotion. "I-I've always like my paternal grandfather's name, Beldrun. And keeping with the 'B's, something similar to Beldrun. Like..Belgrim. Beldrun and Belgrim Brighthammer." Arlo sniffs. "We can call them our 'little bels'. Probably make as much racket as a set of church bells."
"As for the oracle, she knows where I am." The dwarf paladin said determined. "By your side. I won't leave it unless I annoy you too much."
"I mean, hell. I'm afraid to leave your side, lest another world-rocking revelation befall this house!"
Gift heads to the temple of her father, knowing full well he would not leave her mother. Sometime before dawn a prosecution makes its slow way to her home.
Arlo stood vigil over Lyra all night, tending to whatever the pregnant mother wanted.
The dwarf stands awake and ready.
Blue is reacquainting himself with Sigil when a message comes in from Gift's...house? That's unusual. he thinks. But she just said to wait a day. Hmm. He sends a message back to her through the message system. Change of plans?
Lyra walks with a stretch and sees Arlo watching her.
"Have you been up all night my love"
She offers her hand so he can help her up. When he does she stands and sways a moment, Her belly is very large and her center of mass has moved somewhat, she places her hands on her hips.
"Help me to the bathroom, I need a hot before I even think about doing this."
Soon after nude in the bath, she looks over at her husband. A look of love on her face.
"So have you decided on names"
Once he tells her she tries them out.
"Beldrun and Belgrim Brighthammer, yes I like them, good strong names for boys. Do they have a historical meaning?"
IF he tells her she sits back socking. Drinking water now, and taking no food.
Soon she is up and he helps her dry off.
"House call Gift tell her we should start to set things up"
Then to her husband she adda
"Come sit with me on the balcony and have breakfast."
As they sit to eat and one of the Servant bots lays out the food. Lyra in a long gown closes her eyes and takes a deep breath when Gift voice comes over the comms.
"Hi Mum Dad, ready on it, everyone is already here, be about 2 hours"
She smiles
"Should have known she would already on it. I am very proud of our daughter Arlo, she seems to have a strong moral compass. I bet you and that little Dragon Terexaltherin set a good example."
She smiles
"Should have known she would already on it. I am very proud of our daughter Arlo, she seems to have a strong moral compass. I bet you and that little Dragon Terexaltherin set a good example."
"We try", Arlo simply states, kissing her hand. The dwarf got very serious, and looked deep into his wife's eyes.
"Don't you dare leave me. I'd continue on, for GIFT and the boys, but I'd be incomplete without you. You are my EVERYTHING."
”Im going nowhere my sweet, I’m more worried about you and the missions”
Terex doesn’t really relax until Elon is safely off in Organization custody, after which he finally lets himself think about what he wants to do during their time off. The first thought is that he wants to improve and expand his library, so before the party splits up he asks everyone if they have ideas for what they’d like in it if it’s to become their ‘home base’. For his own part he wants to add some amenities like running water, food storage, and sleeping areas for people bigger than himself (his little reading nooks being plenty comfortable for him and Terecho to sleep in already)... and of course to expand the collection in the library with more books and databases, and maybe a couple more terminals. Probably an expanded power source for the computer portion of the library, too. And he also wants to not have to rely on <Shimmer> to get to and from the library… it’d be nice for each member of the group to have some sort of ‘key’ item that would let them enter and exit on their own, so he decides to look into that, too.
Before he gets to work on that, though… Terex wants to spend a day in his library just to relax. So once everyone splits up for their R&R, he retreats into the library, bids Terecho a cheery greeting (which he mirrors), and settles down to read.
…Except, he just can’t… *settle*. Thoughts keep playing through his mind, demanding the little dragon’s attention no matter how he tries to focus on a good book. Finally he sets his book aside and resigns himself to dealing with his issues.
You need to talk to yourself, Terecho interjects.
I need to talk to myself, Terex agrees. They’re silent for a moment before breaking into laughter, telepathically mirroring mirth back and forth.
Speaking with Terecho is rather strange, in a way. Like talking to a mirror that says back what you’re thinking. But Terex knows that sometimes that’s just what he needs. Now is one of those times.
It’s hard to put my claw on exactly what’s bothering me. It’s *related* to feeling like I’m not contributing enough, but that’s not exactly it…
Remember how you felt when the plane tried to scare you?
Terex would be surprised by his copy’s insight were their thoughts not so close that he himself had been about to arrive at that thought himself. Yeah… that feeling of helplessness, of the everything being so much stronger than me… I think that’s part of it. I think it’s… you know how much it bugs us to be called a pseudodragon?
Because there’s nothing *false* about us!
Exactly. Well… what kind of a dragon are we?
Terex leaves that thought to hang between them for a long moment. I’ve found ways to be capable. I’m sneaky, I have a lot of useful wands, I can deal with traps and things… but in the end, I don’t feel like a *dragon*. I feel like a… a… glorified winged *gnome*.
He pauses a moment, then they both chorus, No offense to Minna!
A flash of mirth bounces between them before Terex continues. Dragons can be clever and sneaky and they can use tools, but ultimately their greatest power comes from *themself*. And what do I have? A little stinger? Not just that, but the greatest ally of a dragon is *time*. A dragon only grows stronger with time, but what I have done over the past years? I’ve gotten more skilled with stinging in weak spots and using wands, but I haven’t *grown*.
Not that we want to grow bigger… all of the time, Terecho interjects.
Even if it would be nice sometimes, Terex agrees, grinning briefly before sobering. I think… that’s really the core of it. I feel like I’m not *progressing*, not becoming more than just a clever, tricky little winged reptile. So I kind of feel like I *am* faking being a dragon.
They’re both silent for a moment, before Terecho voices their thought. So what are you going to do about it?
Well… good question. Both think in silence for a long moment before Terex says, Well… I really don’t emphasize my body, do I? I mean, I use telepathy all the time, I use magic and psionics for most of my combat and trickery, so… maybe what I should be doing is focusing more on magic or psionics. I have been told I have a talent for magic a few times… but… I don’t think that would feel quite right.
Excitement slowly builds in Terex’s mental voice as he continues, I think what I need to do, is focus on expanding my psionics. That’s what feels the most… me. And I should be able to keep strengthening that. I mean, my telepathy has already increased in range and I haven’t been working too hard on it. If I focus… well, let’s see what I can do!
The little dragon spends the next few hours exercising his psionic powers, trying to stretch them beyond the little he’s done with them so far. It’s mentally exhausting, but slowly… slowly he thinks he’s getting somewhere. At the same time, he feels the same irritation that led him to this idea building. Was he a dragon or wasn’t he? A dragon shouldn’t be messing around with just moving one little book with his mind. A dragon should be powerful, able to control his own destiny…
Gathering all his mental strength, Terexaltherin stretches out to everything nearby, straining to lift as much as he can. For a long moment it seems that nothing happens, but then… slowly, a number of books start to tremble. Encouraged by this small sign he focuses deeper, pulling on the deepest wells of inner strength he can find.
I… am… a… DRAGON! he roars telepathically, at the same time managing to lift everything nearby him an inch into the air for a brief moment. All the books and shelves drop back into place with a series of dull thuds only a second later, leaving Terexaltherin panting from the mental effort, but the little dragon feels different. The nagging sense of powerlessness that had been bothering him has retreated, and in its place he feels the strength of having a direction to move forward in.
So after your week of rest, in fact pulling you back a little sooner than you expected, Cordelia summons the party back to The Organization's operations center at The Spire.
Entering the large main room, Bethia floats over to you, adjusts the room's gravity and allows you to float with her, past multiple other planar viewing devices to large, glowing three-dimensional diagram roughly illustrating the struggle against the Dark Traders as things currently stand.
First, she points to nearly a hundred planes that have been freed of Dark Trader influence - an entire Western "wing" of their campaign has collapse, thanks you efforts in Syranix and Wanthalian as well as various other agents.
Then she points to an area that's roughly top East, where a series of new tendrils of Dark Trader influence have appeared. "All these have come from the plane of Morphosano - 'The Hell Galaxy'. This is the home world of Kargal, who you have met a few times. He and Ari have taken the step of traveling there directly to try to put an end to these incursions." She explains that Morphosano contains one (or more) fully settled, old galaxies. Humanoids have evolved (or devolved) into various kinds of androids and finally been infested by undeath to a significant extent. "This has long been a Dark Trader stronghold. But it is only recently that they have been able to transport full ships to other planes, wracking the havoc you see. We believe that the Trader are actually purchasing the supplies to accomplish this right here in Sigil. Thus we need to skilled agents to discover the exact supply line. Ideally, rather than simply stopping the supplies, we'd hope to alter the materials so their destroy their users. But either approach would be good. Unfortunately, we don't yet have a lot of information. For now, our plan is for you establish a cover - mining representives, alchemists, buyers of alchemical materials and seek the Traders supplies. Oviously, you'll need separate identities from the Organization. You may use the Organization's resources or your own. If we learn more, we will send the information to you."
So, an infiltration mission with a side of sabotage. Sounds fun. If this is a definitive stronghold of the DarkTraders then we should probably shut it down. Although, configurating the production to our advantage by introducing a virus into the machine sounds good too.
Wait, what? Terexaltherin responds, surprised.
Mirrored mirth passes between them again at the broken moment until Terecho shares what he sees with his original. The little dragon turns his head, examining himself through his own copy's eyes.
His horns do, indeed, look different. Much like the odd sapient stone, they shimmer with different colors, a form of moving irridescence impossible with ordinary light but apparently perfectly normal in <Shimmer>'s impossible home.
I think they're a bit longer now, too, he comments, silently thanking his copy for the use of his eyes. I suppose the constant contact with <Shimmer> is having an effect on me, too.
He pauses a moment before adding, At least it looks cool.
The two share one more moment of silent laughter before Terexaltherin turns his thoughts towards the future. Speaking of <Shimmer>, I have some more ideas. They thought the Pillars of Time were more similar to their home than anywhere else, so we should do some more research on them and other planes like them. I also thought of getting a scroll of comprehend languages to add to my spellbook--that might help with deciphering the weird books in our library.
Terecho nods. Right, I'll start researching planes like the Pillars of Time. Being the one who reads all the time is my reward for being the copy that can't grow more powerful. Humor and I-would-be-envious-if-I-could mingle in the copy's thoughts.
Terexaltherin touches his copy's wing with his own in a comforting gesture. We'll have to see about, um, 'updating' you. Or maybe find a way to make you more your own person.
I'd prefer the first. I don't mind being you, Terecho replies, as his original had known he would.
Mental as well as physical silence falls between them for a long moment. At last Terexaltherin stirs and says, Well, we'd better both get to work! You know I'll be seeing you shortly.
Just don't disturb my reading too much with all the renovations! Terecho replies as his original gets ready to return to Sigil.
When you next see Terexaltherin it's immediately obvious that something's different about him. The fact that his horns now shimmer with an impossible irridescence, much like the aptly-named <Shimmer>, is likely what first draws the eye. They look a bit longer, too. But it doesn't take long to realize that something more intangible has changed about the little dragon, too. Where before he seemed a bit... cautious, unsure, troubled, now he carries himself with an inward certainty that seems almost palpable.
Given his telepathic abilities, it's possible he truly *is* exhuding a new confidence.
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The time soon passed and Lyra went down to the Birthing room.
There stood three clerics of the faith, an Oracle, and a high-ranking Paladin. They all bowed their heads as Arlo came in. Gift was there to help her mother lay on the auto doc bed. A long translucent tube that then slid over her so that only a vague shape could be seen inside. A monitor screen showed Lyras's face.
Lyra nodded and Gift started the Doc. Armitoure like shapes and hypos could be seen moving in the tube around Lyra the doc went to work. Her mother could be seen closing her eyes and the drugs took effect.
Then the real work started, as the Prests started to pray in unison, saying the cantacisems of healing and health. A chant that grow and grow.
As it did the glow from inside the tube also, just like the night before a glow of golden light.
Now the doc was struggling and gift seemed to be working very hard to keep its systems even. Screens showed warning signs and a pipe broke of the doc spraying steam into the space. Giving it an odd another worldly feel. and stiff the glow grow, now almost blinding. Like a small sun. But something more, next to it was a mote of utter darkness. As light came out so light was sucked in.
It was at this moment the bland Oracle stepped forward and placed his old hand on the Doc. The light started to spin slowly at 1st, like an orb of darkness and one of light spinning around each other faster and faster strobbing the room with light and dark.
The chanting got even high and the strobing so fast it was just a flickered. More steam more sounds, faster and faster the light, and then Silence. The chanting stopped, The Oral crumbled to the floor and the light went out. In the steamy darkness there came the sound of two babies craying.
Gift stepped out of the thick mist that now filled the room holding two cloth-wrapped baby dwarf boys. She handed them to Arlo.
"Sorry dad can you hold them, I have to go help Mum. She needs a bit of healing from the clerics."
And back into the mist, she went.
The next shape before Arlo was the Bland Oracle. Who came and stood before him. Regarding him and the two boys.
"Arlo, Killer of world enders hear my Prophecy. In your sons stand in balance, so great is their divine potential. If one was ever to lose the other, Then each will fall on one side of the line between good and evil and grate would be the harm and good done. Until once more they are united and balanced and restored. So is my Prophecy Arlo, Killer of world enders."
Then he anoints the heads of each child with holy oil.
It now that you get a chance to see them. Each has golden hair and golden complexion, with Amber clored eyes and gold and dark flakes in.
As you hold them Arlo they both glow a little form the insdie.
Then Lyra is there, unsteady on her feed with a gift supporting her.
Gift
"Sorry dad mum would not stay in bad"
Lyra,
"Let me see my sons"
She looks upon her identical golden children.
She holds out her hand to take them, as she dose Gift gets a soft seat for her mother. Sitting with her two sons in her arms she looks up at Arlo.
"So then my love, which one is Belgrim and which is Beldrun?"
So, an infiltration mission with a side of sabotage. Sounds fun. If this is a definitive stronghold of the DarkTraders then we should probably shut it down. Although, configurating the production to our advantage by introducing a virus into the machine sounds good too.
Bethia nods to her assistant Zoltan, a bookish Ogre, who replies "We think it's unlikely that the Dark Trader would be able to control an operation that has mobilized this many resources in Sigil. It would have to be one of the large trading operations, operations knit into the fabric of Sigil itself. An effort to corrupt one of these likely could get the attention of the Force Of Balance and rebound heavily against the Trader, solving our problems entirely. If not, we would have trouble indeed." Pauses... "Likely, the traders are aquiring their good through the network of intermediaries or through a corrupted low level official of whatever Trading Company is involved.
Bethia speaks up then, "You have had some marvelous victories and brought down some powerful people. You are rising in power. It is important to learn also that no matter how high any of us rise in power, we will be dealing with powers of a still higher level. So yes, infiltration and sabotage. Just remember not to sabotage the wrong thing or we could get the attention of the Force Of Balance. And naturally things begin with research." As if to emphasize this, she pours a flask of some liquid into another flask and the second flask turns color and makes a "foom" sound.
Armaund and Minna do their best to help with the birth (if permitted), between their other activities. Minna is researching and building, Armaund is developing a stable of contacts throughout The Ghetto using, among things, his ability to drink superhuman amounts of alcohol with effect.
When Terexaltherin 'speaks', there's a depth to his telepathic messages that wasn't there before, a greater sense of all that he means beyond mere words.
Congratulations! he says to Arlo, 'voice' tinged with both joy and a bit of apology for not having said it earlier.
Turning his thoughts to the group, he says, Purchases on these scales can only come from so many sources. Do we have a list of the kinds of places that could supply these kinds of resources?
Bethia answers. We traces the material found to Sigil and from the effect we know it was a vast amount. I have a sample and I will give part of it to you for further analysis.
The material is a from a near-chaos plane know Xonox and processed in Sigil. It is generally believed Xonox is a source of material sold by the Transplanar Consortium and they are believed to have complete control of it (but that's not certain). The Consortium is large enough to have a number of outlets in Sigil, one is in the Red district. They are very tight-lipped and selective in who they sell to. However, they are also believed to sell to independent dealers who may be less selective.
The time soon passed and Lyra went down to the Birthing room.
There stood three clerics of the faith, an Oracle, and a high-ranking Paladin. They all bowed their heads as Arlo came in. Gift was there to help her mother lay on the auto doc bed. A long translucent tube that then slid over her so that only a vague shape could be seen inside. A monitor screen showed Lyras's face.
Arlo was cordial, but was an exposed nerve at the same time. Worried for both wife and children, the dwarf matriarch of the Brighthammers, paced and cursed to himself.
In truth, Arlo was taken aback by some many dwarves in his home. It has been since Žemėia that Arlo spent any real time with his own people. That gave Arlo a small comfort.
Lyra nodded and Gift started the Doc. Armitoure like shapes and hypos could be seen moving in the tube around Lyra the doc went to work. Her mother could be seen closing her eyes and the drugs took effect.
Then the real work started, as the Priests started to pray in unison, saying the cantacisems of healing and health. A chant that grow and grow.
As it did the glow from inside the tube also, just like the night before a glow of golden light.Now the doc was struggling and gift seemed to be working very hard to keep its systems even. Screens showed warning signs and a pipe broke of the doc spraying steam into the space. Giving it an odd another worldly feel. and stiff the glow grow, now almost blinding. Like a small sun. But something more, next to it was a mote of utter darkness. As light came out so light was sucked in.
It was at this moment the bland Oracle stepped forward and placed his old hand on the Doc. The light started to spin slowly at 1st, like an orb of darkness and one of light spinning around each other faster and faster strobbing the room with light and dark.
Arlo looked on with concern, praying to Moradin to protect Lyra and the twins. A surge of fear shot through the dwarf as the steamy environment of light and shadow took on the appearance of Draxus. "DON'T. YOU. FU<KING. DARE.." Arlo growled at the darkness.
The chanting got even high and the strobing so fast it was just a flickered. More steam more sounds, faster and faster the light, and then Silence. The chanting stopped, The Oral crumbled to the floor and the light went out. In the steamy darkness there came the sound of two babies crying.
Gift stepped out of the thick mist that now filled the room holding two cloth-wrapped baby dwarf boys. She handed them to Arlo.
"Sorry dad can you hold them, I have to go help Mum. She needs a bit of healing from the clerics."
Arlo's breath was taken away when he felt the weight of the two dwarven babies laying in his arms. "Oh. Hello, boys. I'm your father", the dwarf giggled as he cried tears of joy.
The next shape before Arlo was the Blind Oracle. Who came and stood before him. Regarding him and the two boys.
"Arlo, Killer of world enders hear my Prophecy. In your sons stand in balance, so great is their divine potential. If one was ever to lose the other, Then each will fall on one side of the line between good and evil and grate would be the harm and good done. Until once more they are united and balanced and restored. So is my Prophecy Arlo, Killer of world enders."
Then he anoints the heads of each child with holy oil.
Despite his mind racing a millions miles a minute, the words of The Blind Oracle struck home in the dwarf's heart.
It now that you get a chance to see them. Each has golden hair and golden complexion, with Amber colored eyes and gold and dark flakes in.
As you hold them Arlo they both glow a little form the insdie.
Then Lyra is there, unsteady on her feed with a GIFT supporting her.
Gift
"Sorry dad mum would not stay in bad"Lyra,
"Let me see my sons"
She looks upon her identical golden children.
In a loud whispered, more than likely meant to be a yell in other circumstances, Arlo whispered, "Woman! You are in no condition to move! SIT DOWN!"
She holds out her hand to take them, as she dose Gift gets a soft seat for her mother. Sitting with her two sons in her arms she looks up at Arlo.
"So then my love, which one is Belgrim and which is Beldrun?"
Sighing, ultimately glad the birthing is over. Arlo looks at his family with tears of pride. Mother. Daughter. And two new sons.
"Whichever one was the first born shall be Beldrun, followed by his brother, Belgrim."Arlo thanked all the dwarves who came to help bless and protect the birth of his two sons.
The head cleric blessed Arlo as he left. "I do not know the work you do outside of Sigil. It is well shielded from scrying. But when you can spare some time when you are here in The City of Doors, please visit us at Moradin's Temple." Looking back into the Brighthammer home/shop, the cleric adds, "Clearly, you are favored. And your presence in the temple will be welcomed."
Arlo thought for a moment, then added, "If I have time as a new parent, I will accept your offer."
The dwarf watched the dwarven procession leave his front stoop, thanking them once more. As he turned to go back inside, Arlo was greeting by a strange sight across the busy street. A small line of six dabus was watching the Brighthammer home with great intent. Arlo continued to watch the dabus watching his home as he shut the front door.
Gods dammit. She knows.
Rollo returns to the compound loaded with fat and smelly cigars, bushels and baskets of flowers, and a baby wizard' hat.
What? Now, I get to train one?
Lyra is now in bed, her two sons by her side, Gift is talking to her.
"Well I think I was that one 1st, no, no that brother, OOOoo mum I was in such a rush. They are Identical I have no idea which one came out 1st. Look let's flip a coin, Dad will never know."
But Lyar would not have it.
She looked at her sons for a moment.
Then looking at her son on her left side she said.
"He is Belgrim"
And to the one on the right
"He Beldrun"
As she said their names each one moved a little as if in approval.
Gift nodded and studied each baby closly.
"Ok I think I have it. I'll go see what's keeping dad."
Gift went and found her Dad, and took him back to her mother, who was no fast asleep, the two boys also sleeping.
Over the next few days its little sleep and a lot of changing nappies for Arlo. Lyra brast feeds and so eats and eats. The boys seem happy until hungy or in need of a change.
And so the life changes, and he looks after his wife and young ons.
Gift dose her best to help, but this is really for her parents so more and more, she gives them space. Happy to just be there if needed.
Terexaltherin examines the sample.
Seems like it's from Xonox, so that'd be the Transplanar Consortium, he concludes, half-formed ideas of how to proceed flickering around his telepathic message. I'll see what I can learn about the plane, and maybe poke around a bit to see if I can learn anything about any contracts the Consortium has with independant sellers.
He sets out to do that... but it's only one of several research projects he's dividing time between. He also adds comprehend languages to his little spellbook and uses it on the weird books in his library to see if he can learn more about <Shimmer>. And he does some research on the Pillars of Time and planes 'close' to it in conceptual space, consulting with <Shimmer> to compare with their origins (and with what he'd learned from the creation spirits). Sometime in here he crams research about psionics, arcana, and their overlap, with some practice of his expanded mental powers.
It's a good thing he has Terecho to split up his efforts with.
Gift went and found her Dad, and took him back to her mother, who was no fast asleep, the two boys also sleeping.
Both Arlo and GIFT looked at each other in dumbfounded amazement.
Over the next few days its little sleep and a lot of changing nappies for Arlo. Lyra breast feeds and so eats and eats. The boys seem happy until hungry or in need of a change.
And so the life changes, and he looks after his wife and young sons.
Arlo worked determinedly to keep up with the demands of both baby and mother. By the third day, the new dwarven father had rings under his eyes and slept during any quiet moments. GIFT would check in daily with her mother and father, making sure all was well.
After pondering Gift's differing instructions for a while, Blue eventually approaches Arlo and Lyra's house. Umm. Hello, Gift. I'm outside. Is your mom alright? he sends through the meld.