Terexaltherin is all too happy to get big again. You're fortunate that I'm fine with letting people ride when I'm like this. Most dragons would insist on carrying you in their claws, he jokes in response to Leander's question, as he crouches down to accept riders. I could probably pull Eruander like this, too. Rollo, I'm not sure an ice bridge would count for 'not touching anything', so flying may still be safer.
Unless anyone argues otherwise, he then takes to the air, nimbly navigating the dreamscape's airspace.
Azzim found it stressful to avoid all the tiny little things in the dream. He looked up into the sky wondering if flying would make it easier...
Gift sort to fly past anything that could damage them.
She was enjoying this trip and the feeling was new.
She had a smile on her face.
The party member thread their way through the seeming benign landscape, avoiding contact with even the beautiful and friendly butterflies and birds that congregate in various points as well as the fountains that occasionally shoot water high in the air and other unpredictable and seemingly coincidental barriers. It feels a silly charade though occasionally you catch a sight of unsavory things below ground or incorporeal in the air... Rollo's ice bridge provides a means to move through a few area of high wind.
Eventually, you alight on a little landing area next to a door terminating the valley. Leander is smiling once everyone arrives, "This has been my easiest passage through this valley yet. We have avoided potential unpleasantness like what we saw earlier. Thanks and congratulation. Now the way is confusing but safe. I will guide..." and he opens the door and guides the party through a maze of passages, up and down stairs, making a bewilders series of turns and choosing carefully between doors within what seems like a huge and empty underground complex... finally, again having the dreamtime sensation of a long passage of time yet no time passing at all, you come to what looks like a door of translucent gray crystal. Leander makes sure the party is together and says "Our destination, the Cucurai, their dream audience hall. Here you may freely ask questions ... or not. You must form them mentally as images and our hosts project their answer into the world. Their knowledge is vast but they will only answer some things here. Still, they do not seem to begrudge any inquiry... I am going to ask about the strange things we've seen in journey here" and so, stepping through the "door" - which doesn't open but simply becomes permeable, you find yourself in a complex foggy landscape. At first, you seem to be merely in a cloud, then you notice various columns have the aspect of flowers - what seems gray is rainbow hues. And then looking at the flowers, on their "petals" and around them, you see an array of images from your pasts as well as images of things you might be curious about... and thing you imagine might come to pass... The effect is somewhat overwhelming. You have a sensation these things are very aware of you but they makes no direction communication...
Terexaltherin grows wary as their destination draws close. How much here is about what the Cucurai can tell them... and how much is the Cucurai learning about them? He'll have to be careful with his question... perhaps something more general for now?
He pictures a dark presence--danger, evil, reaching out hungrily. He adds to the image the vague idea of innocent people, cowering or fleeing. And then the little dragon places himself in the scene, stinger poised to strike at the encroaching dark... but he puts an uncertainty in it. Where should he be here? Where should he strike to best beat back the darkness?
Gift kept her thoughts locked deep behind psionic walls, the last being her who had dared read her mind was nothing more than an echo in time. She was not going to let anything more try to poke her mind without getting past her. Even within the collective minds, she was more a project of herself.
::"Be careful what you wish for lest it come true"::
Is all she sends
He pictures a dark presence--danger, evil, reaching out hungrily. He adds to the image the vague idea of innocent people, cowering or fleeing. And then the little dragon places himself in the scene, stinger poised to strike at the encroaching dark... but he puts an uncertainty in it. Where should he be here? Where should he strike to best beat back the darkness?
As Terex pictures this, the image goes out into the strange foggy terrain of the Cucurai with one particular petal of one "flower" seemingly resonating with it.
Then within and around the petals of this Cucurai, a variety of images form, images of battles for various planes, some know from The Organization's archives, other that vague references exists and other unknown (or non-existent). But images seemingly contain key facts, some know and some that may well be unknown to The Organization at this point. However, the images only give the slightest hints about "what to do" concerning the situations.
And, of course, the truth of this information is open to question but if nothing else, it shows entities with wide, wide knowledge of the planes in general and to the machinations of the Dark Traders in particular.
Terexaltherin takes in as much as he can, trying to identify anything that could be useful for later. At the same time he notes what this tells him about the Cucurai--that they are indeed very knowledgable, but seem to deal more with facts than advice. He does his best to get a feel for how truthful the images are.
It was a pity he couldn't trust them, otherwise he might ask something about <Shimmer>'s origins... the little dragon realizes how dangerous letting his thoughts wander could be and quickly turns his attention back to what he'd seen and what it could mean.
::"Fear not Terex, all information is being recorded"::
Then she sends a question, She projects about her mother and brothers and how something is wrong with their timeline. They have skipped ahead of herself and her fathers. What is wrong with time, the who/how/why and if it can be undone?
The Cucurai clearly knew of The Dark Traders, however Azzim felt uncomfortable asking further questions in this direction without knowing more about the Cucurai. Still he felt like he should ask something... So as an experiment he imagined waking through a vast library, with countless rooms and levels and books, the style of the library in his mind's eye was modded on descriptions he'd read of the Akashic Library. As he wandered through, he took a book from a shelf at random and opened it. At first the pages where blank but then letters started to form...
Azim's intention here was for the Cucurai to provide the words, should they so wish.
Rollo freely opened his mind to the Cucurai. The Sage trades his secrets for those they know of The Book and the Dark Trader's connection to it.
Hello there! I am Rollo Qantas, Magic Specialist, if you will. Wanna trade?
When Gift projects her memories of her family's timeline, they appear on a different petal of the dream-images of Cucurai along with some related information and the sequence somehow twists and morphs until it forms a strange knot in space - a knot roughly similar to some of the temporal diagrams you've seen Bethia working with. Next to the knot, an image of a thing like a key can be seen... Leander sends "::They mean they will trade for more information, a key to untie this...I can tell you more when this finishes"
When Azzim imagines the book on the shelf, it also appears on a petal and begins to form words but then you realize this is a text in no known language but rather it is like streams of characters drawn by an abstract artist - Chinese as drawn by Wassily Kandinsky if Kandinsky knew no Chinese - "text" by image generating AIs - etc... It's very beautiful and suggestive, yet no meaning is immediately evident ...
Cucurai ignore Rollo's direct invitation - it's uncertain if they even understand anything not framed as images...
Eruander sends "::I shall wait 'till we are encounter these things in person..."
Leander then projects an image of the strange complex the party encountered in the caves and flowers seem to become subtly agitated. Still, they project a very brief image of the complex apparently functioning in all it's splendor - but the images of the creatures operating it blurring and unreadable. You can then get quick flashes of apparently later events, too quick to interpret (but Gift is recording...) and the whole sequence shakes and goes away more suddenly than the other images have....
As this is happening, the entire scene is becoming just slightly more unreal... and Leander says telepathically "::The dream is fading but there is time for maybe another one more question each, notice they give associations to concrete images mostly but still very useful, depending on your desires...Also, I don't know if the captured creature can be kept..."
Gift sends a request ::"What information do you wish to trade?"::
Cucurai ignore Rollo's direct invitation - it's uncertain if they even understand anything not framed as images...
Rollo blushes in gratitude of his performance being noncommunicated...
Terexaltherin debates for a bit, before deciding that he wants to know more about the Cucurai themselves. He sends a series of images. First, sand going up into the top of an hourglass--time going backward, trying to suggest the past. Then an image of the Cucurai themselves. Then a series of images of the path they took to get here, with a haze of uncertainty over it--did the Cucurai travel the same path to arrive here, or some other way?
As the scene fades, the Cucurai project to Gift a vague picture ... of her ex-lover in Gamjee Town... To Terex, they send a fast sequence of images that seems similar on first blush to what Leander received, fragmented pictures of history of the now ruined complex though with images of the refugees in the mud flats occasionally appearing...
Then it is done, the group wakes afterwards, still in the night (maybe 3 am equivalent). Eruander sends "Now, we should perhaps attempt to contact the organization again, reporting this new information" (excluding Leander) and while Leander comments "Some new information I think. Could the Cucurai be the product of the destruction of the dimensional complex in the caves? I must reflect and I would appreciate your input here. Also, I carry a number of 'trade items' valued by the Cucurai - certain mineral and carvings from certain ruins. They are traditionally what the Cucurai demand for more information or other things - the product of the Mayana (the ship that Gift's Lover, "Moon" traveled on). I would be willing to sell these though many of them are earmarked for my own purposes"
Azzim replied to Leander, "I don't think we have enough evidence to say, but it's interesting to speculate and I must confess to being extremely curious about their origin and that of the complex." On the topic of trade goods, Azzim asked "I'm not sure if we want to buy, but if you wouldn't mind I'm curious to take a look at things they value. Do yo know if the ruins you mention are associated with their past?"
Azzim thought on the implications of what they'd witnessed. Could their origin have been in the destruction of the complex like Leander suggested. He also thought about the trade items, was there a common thread to them? Was there some special significance to them? Perhaps cultural or maybe religious? Understanding this might help select something suitable for a high value trade as was likely needed for their mission.
::"I got an image of Levale, my ex-lover from that ship, The 'Moon' She has something to do with what has happened with my family being in two, time streams." ::
I wonder if the Cucurai were brought or trapped here by the planar machinery, actually, Terexaltherin theorizes. Though I suppose them being produced by it isn't outside of the realm of possibility. Perhaps its destruction altered some plant creatures? Or its destruction warped them in from another plane? Still, the fact that they sent a couple images of the refugees makes me think they either traveled here or were trapped here.
The little dragon next turns his thoughts to Leander. How valuable are these to the Cucurai? How much information could we purchase with some of these?
He tilts his head to one side as he considers Gift's information. You could look into it when you get back, but it's strange she'd be involved...
Leander comments "Perhaps Moon is involved or perhaps the Cucurai were simply suggesting in their indirect way you could get more answers with the goods sold by Moon and Helio. I do not know but something to consider..."
Leander allows Azzim to look at the "trade goods". It's a mixture of high quality orichalcum ingots and a type of roughly spherical gem, each of which seems to contain a moving whirlpool of stars and each of which has unique shape rotating and morphing in center. Scouring his wide knowledge, Azzim realizes these gems are described by the dwarf Arpin in his text Artifacts of Planar Prehistory. They were called Arnesha by the ancestors of dwarves in one time line - but this just means "things of the past". They have been found in the treasuries of a variety of vanished societies as relics from even old times, old beyond knowledge. They are apparently indestructible - except two or more can sometime merge together for a time. They each seem to carry some object deep within themselves though exactly what is mysterious. They quite rare but not the most rare things of the multiverse by any means - they can be had for a price (and apparently they are sold by Mayana).
Eruander says the possibilities raised by Terex seem plausible and again mentions the possibility of contacting the organization and further discussion on the issues involved continues...
But once that's done, the party continues on the path towards their next destination, the Valley Of Mists, the penultimate before the Cucurai home. Leander's directions merely note the location and describe the proper path through the area but, after another day of travel through the dense, shifting jungle path, you emerge as the path dips and see a mist covered valley several miles long and maybe a mile wide that apparently inhabited by a variety of unusual humanoids - you can see barns, fields, herds of goats and giant beetle-like insects, farms houses, and couple of Inns and workshops as the traditional octagonal pantheon common for pagan worship across the multiverse. Tiefling, dwarves and ant-like humanoids all toil in the fields and workshops. It's late afternoon... Leander notes "Remember, surely we must learn of these people, why are they here of all places?"
Rollo smiles widely as the Valley Of Mists appears before them. Viewing the Tiefling, dwarves and ant-like humanoids all toil in the fields and workshops, the dhampir begins practicing his abyssal, infernal, dwarven, and shirren just in case.....
Terexaltherin makes sure to check in with Terecho to see if anything funny happened in the library when the group went on their dream quest, and with <Shimmer> to see if this 'Valley of Mists' has any planar oddities beyond those that have been present the whole trip.
Hey, whatever happened to those two gamblers that we challenged? Heanu and Venu, or something like that? The little dragon wonders 'aloud', reminded of them by the orichalcum.
We should examine more of what we saw tonight, before we get to the Cucurai. I'm not sure about contacting the Organization right now... I feel like we should hold off until after we meet the Cucurai, just in case, he responds to Eruander.
Terexaltherin gazes over the valley with some surprise. It's definitely strange that all these people are here. I suppose we need to go see if they're friendly? I may stay out of sight at first, just so I can see things they might hide from the rest of you.
Gift floats along but after the dreams, as they move deep into this mythic realm, her psionic power seems to flow more off her, now a billowing translucent cloud of power rising some 200 feet + into the air around her.
Nixed into this is her followers floating along around her.
Once again she only looks forward, but her mind takes in all the viewpoints of the others in her hive mind. The wight of the have mind moves with her, warping the world a little
Terecho reports that nothing notable has happened in the library beyond some spring cleaning they're recently done...
The party proceeded down the path, observing the farms and fields... The area seems to have an temperate climate rather than the jungle you've gotten used to. A careful look shows the area is a patchwork of small but quite productive plots on fertile soil, producing enough for the inhabitants to live simple but abundant lives. In the open air, you see the makings of soft cheeses, preserved meats, dried nectar, pollen concentrates and other artisan foods of the various peoples of the Valley. The peasants of the area seem to work in the groups of 5-10 people of mixed heritage finishing the various products.
As you continue forward, Leander and others leave the path and approach one of the gathering-spots, the "inns", nearby. It's quite simple, no door, just three walls and a ceiling, several tables and a couple of casks with some drink in the center. It's half full of people standing and drinking - as would be logical for the afternoon. When the group at one table sees the party, a tired-looking dwarf dressed a rough peasant tunic calls out "Welcome, what news of the path, travelers? Come to try your luck with the Cucurai or have you already? You're welcome to the day's mead in any case." The various peoples of the area are represented at the tables, only partly drunk at the moment...
"Thank you very much, good sir". Toric walks over and takes one of the offered ales, chilling it with prestidigitation before drinking.
Serving the thirsty Satyr some honey wine, the Dwarf offers his hand and says, "I am Peter. Welcome to the village of Vranack, a kind of way-post on these dimensional paths. A friendly place to rest. Don't try to tell us your secrets, we're trying to forgotten ours and now cultivate the earth - and ferment most exquisite cheeses..." Strandel finds the mead rough but delicate and charming, nearly an equal to a mead served at the Wild Hunt back in the Fey Wilds centuries ago...
Gift sets and lessons, but dose does not eat and drink anything.
Her minds blank up and walls of mental protection held tight.
::"Honey traps the bear just as well as poison."::
She sends looking around at the settled hard members of the village.
Rather surprised by this, Azzim hung back initially and cast several minor spells, to sharpen his focus and to help smooth the way with this unusual culture.
But after a moment he plunged in saying, "Well met Vranack, it is both unexpected and encouraging to see such enterprise! I never considered agriculture in such an unusual dimensional environment, how do find the terroir?" He then attempted to engage in small talk of the weather and of brewing, the latter of which he knew scant little about but was keen to learn.
He accepted the mead gladly, assuming there wasn't any warning signs.
Still he drank slowly, nursing it having taken Gift's warning to heart.
For the time being Terexaltherin continues to keep out of sight and just look around, making certain there's nothing suspicious in the area and that it is as it seems.
The party carefully approaches the first Inn of the valley. The treant Eruander follows the party stepping off the path but stays outside the Inn, sending "I will observe - to be honest, this seems an island of fecund nature in the sea of aberrant semi-life we've passed through and I would sink my roots in it for several hours if it is convenient - staying alert to other dangers of course..." while Leander narrow his eyes and moves with Azzim and Strandel into the Inn, keeping a friendly low profile.
Meanwhile, the dwarf responds, "No I am simply Peter, this village we call Vranack. But no matter, well met. And well you ask of the terroir, the land. I have traversed the seven heavens and the nine hells and have not found a place more sweet and fertile. Our ales, meads, breads and cheeses are beyond compare. Our friends the bebae (you're guessing ant-people) provide us with the most splendid microbiom and the climate, already nearly ideal, seems to adjust itself subtly to each crop and each product produced. Of course, it is probably not chance this beautiful little area stands only short distance from the home of the reputed keepers of the secrets of the multiverse. Some of us retired before we headed that way and others afterwards. I myself set from Gamjee Town only fifty years ago as I'd recon things. And I say, a true Satyr? We must certainly arrange a party tonight if you would share your magic sir...If you stay the night, we have stars, no sun or moon, sadly, but beautiful stars, stars slowly wheeling across the night sky...
"I would be happy to entertain this evening, Peter" Toric smiles as customer service mode kicks in.
Laurana poked her head out from Azzim's pack and suggested coyly to Strandel, "Could this be a Jungle Bloom tour date?"
Not finding anything suspicious, Terexaltherin returns to the group. He stops by with Eruander. It is kind of strange that this is here, after everywhere else was so aberrant, he agrees. It definitely makes me wonder how much control the Cucurai have... maybe this is the edge of their influence, and beyond is less under their control? The aberrations might be due to the destruction of that planar machinery, though I kind of feel like this whole thing may trace back to that...
He lands on Rollo's shoulder and rides along into the inn. This does seem like a very peaceful place! he 'says' to Peter. It would be strange not to have a sun for so long, though, even with daylight coming and going. Honestly the whole journey is pretty strange.
Azzim agreed adding, "This is an oasis of sorts, surrounded by planar weirdness as deadly as any desert, it's little wonder folk stay."
Over the hive mind link he sent another thought, "::This would be an excellent place for those who have something to hide. I think this place and the journey speak volumes about the Cucurai. They are a powerful enigma who hoards their secrets. I doubt we'll get anything straightforward from them unless we have something substantial to trade. I think we should check in with the organization before the final step of the journey. They may have advice or knowledge we could bargain with.::"
On the topic of the Cucurai's origin and of the planar engine he speculated, "::You know I wouldn't be surprised if the destruction of the engine was related to the machinations of The Dark Traders. We haven't had so much as whiff of their agents on the journey, but we should keep our eyes open, just in case.::
Guft was not happy, all her new instincts screamed this was a trap of kind. She recalled her followers back into herself as mote minds, small OS's that bolstered her own personal hive mind. Safe behind her mind walls. She thought long and hard about what was going on here.
She sent one of her mind fragments to talk to the others, while she stood in her mind palace. Processing all the inputs she was getting.
Gifts follower mind fragment.
::"We feel the same way, for us something is wrong here, but we can't work out what. Our delving shows this place to be just what it seems to be. So it is either well hidden or something we have not come across yet is afoot."::
And they use their powers to detect the area around them psi-ly, [Like detecting magic but mind mage way.
So party stays though the afternoon investigating and taking advantage of the generous hospitality of the villagers of Vranack. The area itself has a certain inborn magic, like it was ripped from the reaches of the Fey Wilds or the Beast Lands, fertile and mildly benevolent. And some magical effects of fertility or mending seem to be used here and there in the wheat fields, the sturdy oak drying racks and so-forth. Gift can detect that a couple of Bebae, the ant-people, seem to be a fairly powerful psions and one of Tieflings has a number of prepared spells and magical guards up and others may well also. Just by their baring, you can see Peter and others of the dwarves have some martial prowess but no weapons beyond utility knives are visible.
The villagers tend to mild aged, with at most handful of children, male female and ambiguous genders are apparent among the more ordinary humanoids (the Bebae are difficult to read but there are some apparent youth among them).
As the day passes, more villagers filter into the Inn, having heard of the possible performance. They're consistent with the story of retired adventurers, having an unspoken and sometimes spoken reluctance to hear of the outside... . The villagers do, however, share their latest brandies, goat prosciutto, royal jelly and other concoctions with you and each other with relaxed generosity, commenting in detail on the weather despite it being near perfection.
Once night falls, the assembled group calls for the Satyr to perform.
Rollo engages the local populace with cheer, merriment and most of all enjoyment.
Every desert has an oasis.
Toric has a seat of honor in the inn, on a small raised deius. The satyr begins with some beautiful serene music scapes, playing more lively fare if requested.
The crowd favors the slower and the more sensual songs, older couples dancing under the stars in the area around the small Inn/tavern building, one of whose sides opens to the outside...
She pulled her PA units from her N-space room and set it up around the space. Running sound checks. She had the backing tracks ready for the band. And her backing singer AIs linked to Strandel performance.
As the audience rolled in, ambient electronic music played.
She waited on Azzim for the light show, and fitted macs to everyone, a small one for Terexaltherin. Then check the sound balance as the others to ran their own sound checks. Once ready she worked at the sound desk. While joining in the singing.
When the music started, Azzim started concentrating on a major image spell. The area was transformed into the heart of a Stella nursery, with countless tiny stars and spiral galaxies whirling majestically overhead. In time with the beat the visuals would smoothly zoom from one vista to the next, showing all kinds of stars and nebulae. Whenever a chorus was sung, the visuals dived into a different planet, showing weird and wonderful planar environments. Sometimes the visuals dived into great metropolises like Waterdeep or Sigil, othertimes they showed vast trackless deserts or uncharted seas.
So far everything has been beautiful and serene. Over the link he sent, "::Shall I mix it up with some of their worms devastating a plane or three? Kicking over the anthill I know, could be interesting to see if anyone has a strong reaction!::"
::"That is a good idea, Rollo who can we mix into the music and images references of what the Dark traders have been doing? Also, I want to end on a song I think will kick something out of them here, and find out what is really going on. Nothing is ever this simple"::
At the end of the Gig, she takes the stage alone
And the undertones are about this place and what they seem to be seeking to do to them.
Rollo nods to Gift. The Sage studies the illusions of Azzim to better correlate scenes, motifs, action sequences.
The Sage uses Mirage Arcana to transform the entire common room into depictions of locales they have witnessed of Dark Trader's involvement.
Azzim nodded to Gift and Rollo and added his own touch, replaying the vision that had lead him to join the organization, the last moments of Prince Azzimond.
The illusions took hold more powerfully and everyone watching was transported far away, where they shared the last moments of a doomed man...
I found myself in yet another ruined town, in yet another soon to be ruined world. War seemed to be one of the constants of the multiverse, yet the devastation I witnessed here was beyond anything I'd ever seen. The city, its name had been Bel'chamir meaning beautiful spires had been levelled. Where once the grand vizier's alabaster palace had stood there was a writhing mass of worms, each well over a hundred feet long. They were undulating into and out of the earth as if they were sea serpents and it seemed to me that they were feasting upon the vitality of the world, leaving behind naught but a spent husk. Our final refuge on this world was no more, they had won. It was a bittersweet moment for at least we'd managed to herd the last of people through the portal. I remained behind to seal it, it was a small matter to disrupt the power source and I watched with satisfaction as the eldridge power winked out. I stood there for a moment contemplating, but I was putting it off, there was one last thing to do. The dagger or the poison? Bah neither! I would die the way I came into the world, kicking and screaming. I gripped my sword and walked out to face them, one last time!
Brave Prince Azzimond sallied out one last time, running screaming at the nearest giant worm and was promptly smeared across the ground.
As the illusions faded, Azzim very carefully observed the crowd. For good or ill, surely this would provoke a reaction!
The show is a naturally a success. The audience is naturally much than simple peasants and even very impressive effects get reserved claps. Still you can see at least some people for a moment homesick for Sigil or others more exciting planes.
It appears most in the audience view the images of planar destruction as just another part of the show but Azzim notices three faces that seem to experience some recognition of the events, an older female tiefling who detects as a spell cast of some sort, watching the events with her somewhat younger human husband and what appear to be two brother dwarves who come in relatively late to the performance.
Once the performance ends, the dancing continues but these people are now eyeing Azzim and the rest of party closely.
Some of Bebae are present too but they simply too alien to read normally. Their antennas move with the beat of the music while it's happen.
Toric mingles with the crowd, getting compliments from his performance. The satyr works the room, asking questions about their days to day, why many choose to stay here, and the general environment.
Over the hive mind Azzim sends, "::Don't all look at once but that older tiefling spellcaster and her human husband are giving me funny looks, as are that pair of dwarven latecomers. Shall we talk to them?::"