I'm honestly glad that we've got a minimum of 2/3 of the group who's fine with continuing on already. I'll admit that I was worried enough time had passed that people had kind of buried the campaign in their mind. But you all banished that particular anxiety I had, and in spectacular fashion, I must add.
Like I said, I'll probably need a few days just to get everything pulled together around here. At bare minimum I need to fix the AC unit since it regularly hits 90 degrees farenheit around here this time of the year and it's been miserable the few days I've been back. Running the computer makes it even hotter in here. But I am 100% down to resume GM duties once that and the well are fixed. Ideally I'll have the trees cut and moved by then, but if not, those are much less of a problem in the pyramid of needs since they're mostly just an eyesore and didn't hit anything but grass, dirt, and red clay, which I'm quite thankful for.
@Vulpiano: That's fine. While a roll would normally be a necessary formality, you choosing to Take 10 allows us to bypass that. Anything higher than 58, or 62 for History, you will need to roll on as normal though. Realistically, that means you passively succeed on about 75% of all the Knowledge checks in this game without having to roll a single die, which is pretty nifty in my book.
Also, don't worry as much about having a busy weekend. Most of us have had at least one week where we kind of dipped for a few days since the game started.
The King nods in acknowledgement, "It is an honor to finally meet the esteemed Dr. Arvanxi in person, considering my majordomo speaks endlessly on the brilliance shown in your various texts and scholastic works. We are most pleased that you've taken with Misha as you have, as many view her as a simple beast of burden instead of the dependable and noble being she is. You are welcome to visit in the future and take in the wonders of my domain at your leisure once out business is concluded."
@Vulpiano, Arc Zeon: Sorry about moving forward before you two had the chance to introduce yourselves, I just figured it was the best course of action to keep help things run smoothly. If there's an issue with it, I can edit something in a spoiler.
@The First Flame: Hey, I'm enjoying it! I'll admit that it does make in-character communication a little odd, but I generally like odd things, so I'm not complaining.
The King's luminescent features form into a smile after The First Flame's atypical introduction, "Well met to you as well, oh incandescent one. It's rare to meet another who has been around for a comparable stretch of time, such as it is outside of Allialla's eternal bounds, so the pleasure of this meeting is most assuredly mine."
At Duskashae's intoduction, the King holds up his right hand and shakes his head, "Please, Lady Rector-Extracessionary, there is no need to apologize. You all are my guests and have taken time out of your busy schedules to come hear me out, and that's a worthy gift in its own right from luminaries such as yourselves."
The King glances over at Arc Zeon and Vulpiano, who seem unusually quiet, "Doctor Arvanxi, Mr. Arc Zeon, it is a pleasure to meet the two of you as well."
He looks back to the small orchestra, "Now that my esteemed guests have been properly introduced, please, return to enjoying the festivities! Maestro, if you would be so kind?" At that, the ethereal music begins playing once more and everyone returns what they were doing beforehand, their curiosity satiated.
"Now then, I believe that I owe you all an explanation as to why I sent for you, yes? While the matter itself is public, the details are not. Therefore, I would ask you to follow me, please. There are a few people I would like you all to meet." He looks at the ground and weaves his hand around in an arcane fashion, forming a magical sigil on the ground. "If you would be so kind, Wardens."
Knowledge: Arcana DC20:
The arcane sigil on the ground is a teleportation circle used for the short-ranged teleportation of groups a distance of up to five miles away. The circle generally lasts a few minutes (contingent on the power of the caster) or until the caster crosses the boundary and teleports themselves, at which point the circle vanishes.
Once the other four have introduced themselves to the King, a necessary formality, we can proceed.
Josten's Knowledge Check:
The figure before you is known alternately as the King of Dreams or the King Unseen. He is the lord of Allialla and the bright side of the Dreamlands, steward of the Slumbering Sea, honorary lord of the Isles of Daydream, feymarked guest of the Wildlands, and holder of several dozen other titles. If one beyond these becomes relevant, I'll fill you in.
His heraldry is the silhouette of the Sunset Palace between the twin setting suns of his corner of the Dreamlands, usually superimposed on a regal purple and burnt orange split field.
Because the King has so many foreign dignitaries, the social ettiquettes of his court are largely undefined and informal, although it is expected that visitors display some basic level of propriety while attending the Sunset Palace.
The King has no children or heirs, but he does have a Queen. A new Slumbering Queen is selected nightly from consenting female dreamers and crowned in a grand ceremony. In the time-lost city of Allialla, where time has virtually no meaning, such Queens rule for forever and a day before waking the following morning, usually with some form of sorcerous power as a parting gift.
The King smiles at Josten's introduction and mentioning of Desna, "Well met, young Josten! I've heard a great deal about you through the grapevine, including some rather interesting tales from your aunt on occasion when her personage graces these halls. Please, do give the Starsong my warmest of regards next time you see her."
@Josten: I'll keep your grand and festive illusion in mind for when everyone finishes introducing themselves to the King.
Maedyri's bow elicits a meaningful nod from the King, "Well met to you as well, Madam Maedyri, and I thank you for your kind words about the Sunset Palace. While it is true that dreams have provided your craftsmen some of their inspiration, as all craftsmen benefit from my domain, I can ink a personal invitation for your craftsmen so that they may take in the sights and expand their horizons even further. Does this sound agreeable to you?"
Fair enough! Just wanted to make sure everyone was fine with it since we've yet to discuss that sort of thing in an official capacity. So it looks like the '48 hour for everyone to post before we move on' rule is in effect universally.
@Maedyri: I understand how things can go sometimes, so no worries. Hopefully everything is going better for you now. Just let me know if you ever need me to bot Maedyri for a few days while you decompress things.
Sorry, got distracted by my dog barking and I had to take her out for a walk, then I got a bit hungry and decided to fix some food after getting back in the house. Hence the two hours between posting here in discussion last and posting in gameplay.
Vulpiano's Earlier Interaction with Misha While Boarding:
Sorry I moved things along too quickly. Consider this a retcon of sorts to splice in that interaction.
As the semi-trance state of xenoglossy takes hold and Vulpiano speaks, Misha's eyes slightly widen and she begins to speak in whalesong, which he hears in his native tongue as if belonging to female human child, "TINY FRIEND ALSO SPEAK SONG OF DEEP WATERS? MISHA IMPRESSED! IN ALL HUNDRED YEARS AS ROYAL CHAUFFEUR, NO ONE BUT TINY FRIEND, PRETTY FORTUNETELLER, AND SHINY KING HIMSELF SPEAK SONG OF DEEP WATERS IN CITY OF TWO SUNS! MISHA CURIOUS HOW STRANGER SING SONG WITH TINY VOICE, BUT SHE THANKS FRIEND FOR KIND WORDS! MISHA MAKE SURE RIDE SMOOTH AS GENTLE BREEZE!"Skywhale speech lacks a lot of the finer points of more traditional languages, which is why it sounds like broken, childlike speech. Well, that and Misha's own relative youth filtered through the lens of xenoglossy as well.
Vulpiano Miscellaneous Information:
You recall that skywhales, despite their high intelligence, only speak a form of whalesong because of their unique vocal cords, though they can sometimes be taught to undertand other languages, if not speak them.
The Xenoglossy attempt is successful!
Skywhales tend to eat the usual things whales do, but they also have a fondness for Cloudfruit, a rare type of fruit that grows only on trees found at or above the cloudline on floating islands. They're not as expensive as some planar delicacies, but at around 1 GP per fruit, they're certainly not cheap.
The majordomo's eyes almost seem to sparkle at The First Flame's shifting glow and she seems drawn in to the shimmering tapestry of light and flame. "Is this what the King meant by how you might communicate? Fascinating, truly fascinating! Let me try!" She crudely attempts to alter her own barely-there faerie glow, but to no avail.
As Vulpiano disembarks and thanks Misha, she responds by letting loose a stream of whalesong.
Here's a translation for Vulpiano primarily, seeing as how he is under the effect of Xenoglossy. Everyone else can feel free to read this, but unless they have a means of understanding the low wails and squeals of whalesong, it won't mean a lot in-game. "IT NO TROUBLE, MISHA HAPPY TO HELP TINY FRIEND! MISHA FIND JOY IN FRIEND SPEAKING SONG OF DEEP WATERS, REMIND MISHA OF DAYS BEFORE LEAVING SLEEPY SEA TO BE HELPING KING."
After he scratches her on the chin and offers her a large, tasty Cloudfruit, she grows very animated and lets loose another series of squeals and wails, "MISHA THANK TINY FRIEND! FRIEND IS KIND TO MISHA AND GIVES HER FAVORITE FRUIT FROM SKY LANDS! MISHA WOULD BE HAPPY IF FRIEND COME VISIT AGAIN AFTER DO IMPORTANT WORK FOR SHINY KING."
Vulpiano and Josten's offers of an autograph and a handshake break the pixie out of her vain attempts to emulate The First Flame's shifting radiance, "No, no, no, the pleasure's all mine! The King gets a lot of important guests, but none of them have tales as glamorous and dashing as the Broken Circle's! I've read, um, well... every book I can get my hands on about your adventures. Oh, but wait, handshakes, right!" She extends her tiny hands forward and gives an excited handshake. She's roughly 2-3 feet tall, so it's likely her hands are dwarfed by you two's unless your characters just have really tiny hands that I don't know about!
She looks at Duskashae's impassive mask and seems to understand the judow's unspoken thoughts before nervously turning back to the two friendlier figures, "Errr... can we do the autographs later? The King's waiting on you and I've taken up way too much of your time already. Well then, shall we?"
I'm assuming no one else has any more input, but if they do, I can retroactively add replies in under a spoiler.
Lily escorts the party through the winding halls of the Sunset Palace. Opulence and grandeur the likes of which would even put the nobles of Hyraeatan's Crown District to shame is displayed throughout every regal, carpeted corridor and every banner-draped transitory room. Space seems to have less of a bearing in the palace, as some of the long hallways gently twist and spiral and, before the Wardens can fully process it, they're walking on what first seemed to be walls and ceilings, were it not for the carpet- and seemingly gravity- confirming that they are still, in fact, walking on what seems to be the floor.
After several minutes of walking, and maybe conversing, they arrive before two great doors, before which are dozens of Masqued Chevaliers holding trumpets. As the clockwork constructs somehow manage to play the trumpets in perfect unison despite having no lungs with which to blow into the instruments, the indistinct images on the door begin to swirl and take shape. The past triumphs and victories of each member of the Broken Circle are on full display, possibly bringing back fond memories of those days. After a moment, no more than a few seconds or so after the scenes take form and can be recognized, the doors open.
The room before the Wardens is what appears to be a grand planar ballroom a few feet across with a vaulted ceiling so high that it beggars belief how the light cast from the grand crystal chandeliers handing from the ceiling can even illuminate the room below as well as it can. Ethereal music formed of violin and piano notes linger in the air as the room bustles with beings from across the planes: mithril-armored elven knights rub shoulders with seductive vampires and stately minotaurs, angels in shimmering sequined ballgowns and tuxedos toast dapperly-attired demons, a leng spider teeters to and fro in a bizarre dance, and other beings stranger still indulge in all manner of courtly pageantry and celebration.
One figure, in particular, draws the party's gaze. A tall, seemingly human man dressed in royal attire of smokey black, midnight purple, and the darkest shades of sapphire blue dances with an white, green, and gold-clad elven maiden whose long platinum-blonde hair is bound into a braid seemingly decorated with a mithril thread containing tiny stars. Both of the figures wear royal crowns of the finest make and dance so elegantly that it almost seems hypnotic to watch. As the man dances, some of his features and attire seem to shift subtly: ocean blue eyes change to a dusky orange, a lock of hair black hair gains a streak of white as he spins back around with his partner, and more. And then, as he finishes his dance by dipping his partner low, the features of his face change for a moment into a visage of unimaginable handsomeness formed of glowing light as twinkling motes of energy coalesce around him. Although the Wardens may not understand how they know it, there can be no doubt this is the King of Dreams. He feels familiar and oddly nostalgic despite the unlikelihood of them ever having met. He turns directly to the Wardens and smiles as he pulls his queen out of the final step of the dance.
Seemingly seeing that as her cue, Lily clears her throat and announces the party as they stride into the ballroom, "Your Most Noble and Regal Highnesses, Lords and Ladies of the Court Unseen, allow me to introduce the esteemed guest of our King..." The entirety of the court looks your way as Lily proceeds to list off all of the King's many honorics and mention each Warden by their name and many titles. All eyes are on the party and the King as Lily's overly-formal royal introduction ends. The King inclines his head towards the Wardens and offers a courtly bow, "Welcome, honorable protectors and Wardens of fair Hyraeatan. Tales of your exploits have long passed over the tongues of my courtiers and, though I have known you since the days your minds first formed, as I do all who live and dream, I must say it is a great and inestimable honor to make your acquaintence in person." A wave of bows and curtsies moves through the assembled crowd like a wave, with only a handful seeming to stoically abstain.
That's your cue, folks! Walk up and introduce yourselves to the King in whatever manner you see fit.
Seems like the general consensus is more or less yes. I'll leave it a bit open for now in case Maedyri and Arc Zeon have different stances. Well, time for me to hop in and post then!
@Arc Zeon, Meadyri, Vulpiano: Thoughts on my previous question? No rush, just wanted input to help figure out which approach to go with moving forward.
Question: Would you all prefer if I gave 48 hours from the time of posting for people to reply, then go onwards with what replies are available? That would probably help things go along smoothly, but I don't want to make decisions of that magnitude for everyone else without asking first. Just wondering what people's preferences were.
After the Wardens board the craft and take a seat in the luxurious cabin- and the First Flame rises up to be buoyed by the artificial wind currents- Magdalena closes the door and Misha begins to rise into the air. As the skywhale soars above the clouds and turns to head towards the palace, it becomes clear that Allialla's sunset is caused by not one, but two suns. The city rises up from the Slumbering Sea's depths and slopes gently upwards as if built on top of a hill of staggering size. Bizarre sights come into view for those who choose to look out of the windows to the city below: workers dredge glowing bubbles from a river that gently flows up through canals in the city in defiance of gravity, a shattered crescent moon comes view that was once obscured by the palace, and a series of crystal monoliths shaped like helixes dot the city.
After a peaceful trip lasting less than an hour, the group arrives and disembarks on a skydock balcony lare enough to comfortably host over a hundred people. "We have arrived, honored guests."[b] Magdalena says as she gets up and opens the cabin's door. A regal amethyst carpet stretches from the cabin to a pair of large golden doors- etched with fantastical scenes- leading into the palace. Masqued Chevaliers like the one in the park flank both sides of the carpet and raise their weapons in salute as a tiny glowing pixie wearing a relatively conservative courtier's dress and a large pair of glasses floats towards you, trailing a list or scroll of some sort at least twice as long as she is tall. Magdalena turns back towards the cabin and steps to the side before doing an elaborate cursty, [b]"Welcome to the Sunset Palace."
The pixie excitedly flits over to the Wardens as they exit the coach, "Welcome, welcome! I'd heard tales of the Broken Circle's latest batch of Wardens and read ALL the novels surrounding your adventures, but I never thought I'd get the chance to meet you all in person! Can I get an autograph?! Maybe a handshake?! Flowered Queen, this is...!" Magdalena lets out a small chuckle at the pixie's fawning speech, which causes her to stop and flush red in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry! *Whew* Just breath in and out Lily, you've got this!" Lily takes a moment to regain her composure and taking a more measured tone, "*Ahem* Please forgive my outburst and complete lack of manners. My name is Lilianne Springblossom, Majordomo of His Majesty Sirius Aringarde, the King Unseen, King of Dreams, Ruler of Allialla, Lord of the Twin Sunsets, Steward of the Slumbering Sea, Honorary Lord of the Isle of Daydream, Heir of Somnos..." It takes nearly three minutes for the pixie to finish the exhaustive list of the King's many titles. "His Majesty thanks you for agreeing to meet with him here at the Sunset Palace on such a short notice. Now please follow me to the Royal Audience Chamber, if you would be so kind."
Sorry about the absence, folks! I normally try to give some advance warning if I'm going to be gone for more than one day, something I mostly adhered to in the recruitment, but circumstances just didn't allow it this time. Regardless, I should be back to 1+ posts a day for at least the next two or three weeks.
Magdalena nods her head as the group gives their near-unanimous answer, "Very well. While Allialla exists outside the bounds of time and there's no need for haste while within its borders, your desire to get to the heart of the matter is certainly commendable."
She snaps her fingers and whistles, and is answered by a curious melodic wail resounds from above the clouds. A large patch of clouds, some one or two hundred feet across, begins to fall as if being pushed down by something massive. The clouds then part and the source of the wail becomes clear: a giant whale of white and gold whose fins end in gilded feathers and whose head is crowned by a great spiraling horn. Great crystalline growths on the creature's back catch the evening sunlight and gleam brightly as it descends. Attached to the skywhale is a harness that ends in what looks to be an elegantly-carved wooden box that could easily hold a dozen or so people, which gently touches down near the Wardens in the sprawling park. Windows placed in this aerial carriage reveal finely-appointed seats backed by regal velvet upholstery and etched with gilded decorations.
The Twilight Seer opens the door and motions for the Wardens to enter before turning to look at the solar phoenix known as The First Flame, "My King has asked me to convey his sincerest of apologies for the Royal Skywhale not being of sufficient size to accommodate a guest of your stature. Little Misha here is the youngest calf of the Prince of Sonorous Depths and has yet to mature and reach the size of her honored father. She can, however, manipulate the airstreams around her if you would prefer to simply stretch your wings and let her gently guide you to the palace."
Fair enough! So everyone but Vulpiano will have their passive roles made by yours truly then.
@Maedyri and Dushashae: Which camp do you fall under concerning the mode of travel to the Sunset Palace? Curious as to what the whole party's thoughts are.
@The First Flame: Ha, it will be an interesting challenge for sure!
Fair enough! Just wanted to make sure people were fine with me handling some rolls. I'll wait and see what everyone else says concerning their preferences, but I'm 100% fine with either way of handling things.
@Duskashae: Thanks! I do like to add in a bit of detail to environments instead of something like "You stand in a city and are welcomed by X character, who ushers you to your destination." It adds to the immersion when a GM adds little details like that. I may not ALWAYS go full-hog with the details, but I try to do so whenever possible. I can't wait for the characters to get out of the shifting cityscape of Allialla so that I can REALLY go into descriptive exposition mode with some of the weirder locales! Qaṣr al-Kawābīs, my homebrew name for the generically named "City of the Coliseum" in Coliseum Morpheuon, in particular has a vibe somewhere between a dark reflection of 1,001 Arabian Nights, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath, and Planescape that is sure to thrill players when I start describing it.
You all can read the spoiler for Duskashae. I just spoilered it since she seemed to want to scrutinize what she saw, but there's nothing I need to keep from the rest of you.
Also, I have a question: would you prefer I make Perception and Sense Motive checks for you all unless you have choose to make one yourselves? It's totally up to you folks. It would definitely make things speedier in the future, although I can understand if me making secret checks would be disappointing from the standpoint of someone who just wants to roll them bones at every opportunity.
There's no real need for a Perception check now, but I can give you more granular details of Vesper Plaza's environs since you're choosing to observe your surroundings more intently. Everything is more or less as it seems based on your true sight.
As you scrutinize the beings in the park, you take in a few additional details.
The elven child eventually catches the faerie dragon and holds it close like a beloved pet. It chirps and trills happily.
The mercanes continue their discussion as they leisurely stroll through the park, "So the Ao'oolakvi merfolk use seashells psionically keyed to their rightful owners as a means of avoiding theft, and every merchant within the Lord of Hadal Pelagios's domain can read these by running a finger over their surface? Fascinating, and most useful indeed if it can be replicated! This avenue of currency verification could have a net positive influence on planar marketplaces and bears further research."
The masked zelekhut continues to stand on guard and, upon noticing you looking in its direction, it politely bows before resuming its vigil. You notice that its mask seems to move like a living face would and that what seemed to be glitter on portions of the mask is, in fact, an alien material that reflects an unseen starry night sky.
The vampiric woman lets out a throaty giggle as her minotaur companion kisses her outstretched hand, "Oh Lord Asteiros, you are such a charmer! Who knew that one man could be both a warrior AND a gentleman?" The minotaur smiles broadly, "My charms and talents are many, it's true, but I could say the same for you, my bloodstained rose. I heard tales of your last masquerade and, I must confess, I'm sad to have missed such a spectacle. Still, conquering a new kingdom does have its own appeal, does it not my dear?" She flashes a full-fanged smile, "Yes, enough to get even my blood flowing once more. What do you say we return to Chateau de'Salde and indulge in a more private... celebration of your latest victory?" The two wicked lovebirds then began to make their way out of the park.
Magdalena rises from her bow and smiles at those who have responded -smiling perhaps a little more at Josten for his courtly manners-, "Most excellent. The trip can be be somewhat discomfiting for some, so I am pleased to hear that was not the case."
She turns momentarily to the side and points a delicate finger in the direction of the giant castle in the distance, "That, dear Wardens, is the Sunset Palace, home of the most honorable and beneficent King of Dreams."
She turns once more to the Wardens, "My lord has already arranged for you all to receive a more dignified means of conveyance to the Sunset Palace, as befits your status as Wardens and royal guests. Shall I call it for you? Or would you prefer a more terrestrial trek so that you may better take in the sights of fair Allialla?"
As the Broken Circle's members turn the Keys of Somnos in the air, the Keys diffuse into a door made of the same opalescent energy. A light tinkling noise like that of a windchime made of glass fills the air and a nostalgic smell drifts from the open gateways. Whatever smell is most nostalgic for your character is what they smell: the grasslands of a long-forgotten youth, the expensive perfume of a lover, mom's signature apple pie, etc.
The Wardens step through the gate and their vision is overtaken by the opalescent energy. All awareness of time and space vanishes in an instant as if falling deep into slumber and the world fades into a silvery-blue ocean filled with bubbles. Scenes both whimsical and touching, sorrowful and terrifying, play out in these bubbles as they float downwards. The bubbles gradually speed up until everything is a blur of color, sound, and emotions. Just as the constant barrage of nascent dreams and nightmares threatens to overwhelm the Wardens, everything goes still, dark, and silent once more. They gradually become aware of their body taking that last step through the other side of the gate and the sound of voices begins to echo in their ears.
When they open their eyes, it is not the familiar headquarters of the Broken Circle that they find themselves in, but Allialla, the City at the End of the Dream. The golden light of the setting sun illuminates a sprawling urban park nestled between baroque buildings of fantastic make and elegant statuary dots the park. A great fountain shaped like a choir of entwined lillends singing to the heavens sits in the middle of the park in front of you and water spiraling upwards from its pool in defiance of gravity to form an aqueous sphere above the lillends before
gently raining downward in curtains like a miniature waterfall.
A handful of the Allialla's inhabitants can be spotted in the tranquil park. An adolescent elven girl giggles while playing chase with a tiny faerie dragon. Two plump mercanes chat about planar numismantics and exchange rates while walking strange six-eyed and twelve-limbed hounds with midnight purple fur. What looks to be a zelekhut inevitable in a colorful masquerade mask and finely-tailored suit courteously bows to passerbys, seemingly on guard duty. And a beautiful human woman draped in a dress of purest white stands gracefully in the shadow of a tree draped in colorful ribbons, coyly biting her velvety lips with vampiric fangs as a scarred minotaur dressed in black and gold military garb and a flowing cloak kneels down and kisses her outstretched hand.
A flock of Elysian doves draws the gaze of the Wardens towards the sky and they see great towering structures connected by elegant skybridges piercing above the golden cloud. Floating islands bearing alien buildings and paradisical gardens dot the skies above and a few of the islands have great waterfalls pouring down from them. And in the distance, winding steps of golden crystal lead to a baroque ivory palace of staggering size in the sky, with dozens of towers that taper off into needles that fly silken banners
Inevitably the attention of the Wardens drifts back to the ground and see something- or rather, someone- that they were sure wasn't there before. Sitting on one of the park benches in front of the fountain is none other than Magdalena the Twilight Seer, poised and elegant as ever. She opens her eyes and smiles her knowing smile once more before standing and bowing to the members of the Broken Circle "We meet again, dear Wardens. I am well pleased to see that each of you have decided to make the journey and hear out my lord's request. Allow me to welcome you to Allialla the City at the End of the Dream, domain of the honorable and just King of Dreams. I trust your journey from the waking world was not too disorienting?"
I'm ready whenever everyone else is ready. Currently just kicking back and answering any Knowledge checks people make while the party discusses things and hashes out their plans.
The shifting realities of the Dreamlands hold many threats. This is just a "Greatest Hits" rundown and isn't comprehensive since there are technically a near-infinite number of threats, but it should suffice to answer the question.
Denizens of Leng from the Leng Plateau sail the waters and skies of the Dreamlands in black arks with their Moon Beast allies who hail from the Shattered Moon. They are notorious slavers and commit incomprehensible ritual murders seemingly at random. The strange gemstones known as Leng Rubies can be used as bargaining chips with them, but a prospective bargainer needs to exercise caution, for the rubies induce a curious mania in the Denizens. Those who visit the Plateau itself find the place unnaturally cold and unprotected travelers often freeze to death within an hour. Nomadic cults of goat-legged mythos ghouls and their gug slaves roam the land in search of prey and sacrifices, while the faceless nightgaunts stalk the night skies in search of travelers to terrify. The greatest threat in the Leng Plateau, however, is how it can drive visitors mad, hollowing out their personalities and replacing it with an abiding madness that manifests differently in each individual.
The Slumbering Sea, a depthless body of water containing nascent dreams that have yet to fully form, seems tranquil, yet holds many dangers of its own. Curious sea beasts sometime rise from the depths and playfully nudge ships, sometimes with enough force to list them. Slavers and pirates sometimes prowl the waters, with the dragon-blooded Miraxa the Corsair-Queen being one of the most vicious and brutal. An amphibious dreamwhale daikaiju known as The Prince of the Sonorous Depths drifts through the waters and skies and is largely peaceful, but a terrifying force of primal destruction when provoked. Particularly turbulent dreams sometimes create bottomless vortexes, lightning-shrouded waterspouts that rage across the sea, or storms so fierce that they could shear a great wyrm's wings from its body. Those who 'drown' in the Slumbering Sea sometimes awaken on beaches in entirely different timelines. Perhaps the greatest danger though is something that spoken of only in legends. In the impossible lowest depths of the depthless Slumbering Sea far from the light of the sun, there is said to be a spiraling labyrinth of coral made of black mirror-like substance that ensnares all who journey there and serves as a prison for a horror beyond reality. None who have journeyed to this locale have ever returned.
The gloomy islands dotting the Dying Sea of Nevermore, located as close as they are to the dangerous edge of the Dreamlands where reality and multiversal laws break down into primordial chaos, are full of dangers as well. The faceless Knight of Sorrows rules a kingdom of spectral subjects from the Ivory Spire and his dark regalia- a sword forged in the fires of hate and quenched with the bitter tears of a thousand dead worlds, a cloak woven from the nightmares of children and the fever dreams of the mad gods, and armor chiseled from a giant soul pearl ripped from the Dead City of Minas Lacrimosa- speaks of his hideous power and hateful defiance of life and hope. Beautiful bioluminescent sirens of the depths sing arias that enslave the wills of those who become their consorts and prey. A cruel witch-queen batters ships with her storms of green lightning and black winds, driving them to her island to use in abominable rituals. But worst of all is a growing blight on the unreality of the place alluded to only vaguely, for to directly speak of it and have knowledge of it is to invite it into ones soul to forever stain it and fashion one into a hollow slave of its will.
Allialla the City at the End of the Dream is a largely peaceful place for those who abide by the laws set in place by the King of Dreams. Impossible oneiric reflections of the dreamless constructs of law known as Inevitables wear elaborate masquerade masks and diligently enforce the King's Law. Many powerful visitors from across the planes- gods and their heralds, empyreal lords, dragon kings, and more- visit at the King's pleasure and crossing many of them would be a terrible mistake for most travelers. The city is also home to a unique subset of visitors who have claimed citizenship: cabals of great vampire lords who come to gaze upon the ever-setting sun whose light does not burn their flesh. While most of their weaknesses are suppressed or irrelevant in the Dreamlands, they still need to feed and enjoy weaving complex webs of schemes and manipulation, so they skirt the edge of the King's Law to draw visitors into their service as indentured thralls and sources of blood.
The Gloaming Forest exists on a large island within the Slumbering Sea and it is here that the unreality of the Dreamlands and the Brightlands of the fey overlap and bleed into one another. The Wild Hunt and fey nobles often cross over to indulge in great hunts and sweeping quests that make sense only to the incomprehensible logic of the fey. Both Sidhe and Unseelie fey inhabit the land and will help or hinder visitors as suits their whims. Many Archfey also make their home here: the Steward of the Vine who is the father of the bacchae and engages in wild (and sometimes bloody!) revels, the banshee-like Lady of Wretched Sorrows whose screams and wails drive souls in her curse-haunted stretch of the forest to a cycle of suicide and undeath that repeats endlessly, the Princess of Thorns whose obsession with preserving life usually ends with her capturing a being's existence in rose-shrouded dream effigies that she lovingly tends to, and the Frozen Prince who seeks something to warm his frozen heart and slays or enslaves all that fails to do so.
The Idle Isles of Daydream hold virtually no monsters or dangerous individuals unless a particularly strange daydream manifests. No, the real threat in this region is that the idyllic whimsy that saturates the place is enthralling to visitors and slowly drains them of the will to leave or engage in any action beyond recreation.
Qaṣr al-Kawābīs, also known as 'The City of Nightmares', is a ruled by one of the most powerful beings in the Dreamlands known as the Khan of Nightmares. Beings from all across the multiverse make the journey to this place of dark majesty and shifting terrors to visit the planar marketplace known as the Tarnished Souk or the largest arena in the multiverse known as the Chimeric Amphitheater. The Hounds of Ill-Omen, a tribe of Nessian Were-Hellhounds who each bear a unique curse, serve as the Khan's agents and enforce his edicts with sadistic glee. The Desert of Lamentation that surrounds the City of Nightmares is filled with undead who died unfulfilled (many of which were gladiators in the Chimeric Amphitheater or those who displeased the Khan), corrupt genies and wicked div, and an impossibly tall and gaunt Devourer surrounded by a storm of torn and fragmented souls, known only as "The Ravager", stalks the dunes in search of souls to consume and is said to be the remains of a god who crossed the Khan of Nightmares.
The object you have in your hands does seem to be one of the Thirteen Keys of Somnos and was crafted from raw dreamstuff by the titular god to open magical portals that allow bodily travel to and from the Dreamlands. Although Somnos died many planar eons ago, the keys were interwoven with his divine essence and remain to this very day in the care of powerful Dreamlands beings such as the King of Dreams, the Pasha of Nightmares, the Witch-Queen of the Dying Sea of Nevermore, and the mysterious priest-king of the Leng Plateau.
Legends say that all a user has to do is turn the key in the air as if unlocking a lock and it will turn into a gate of opalescent energy connecting the area and the Dreamlands and that all it takes to close the gate is extending your hand and willing the portal back into it's key form.
Maedyri:
The Dreamlands is a place where time flows as strangely as the dreams that are found there. For most, time flows much more slowly and one can spend years within the plane without more than a few days passing in the real world. There are some regions deep in the Dreamlands where those who wander in become displaced in time. Some who fall into the depths of the Slumbering Sea and 'drown' wake up on some other world's beach in the distant past or future.
Planeshifting bodily into the Dreamlands is difficult without prior knowledge of a clear destination since some corners of the plane are formless and ever-shifting, but shifting into relatively stable regions such as Allialla the City at the End of the Dream or the Leng Plateau is generally considered reliable. Planeshifting out of the Dreamlands, however, is a simple matter.
Oho, the ball is now rolling! I'm getting really hyped about what's to come. I'll let you guys hash everything out and, once you choose to use your Keys, this trip of epic action and extraplanar weirdness can finally start to become a reality! It's enough to make this ol' jaded GM want to belt out the manliest of squees.
My plan was that you would all arrive at your Hall of Justice-style meeting room to discuss your meeting with Magdalena and decide as a group to use your keys and journey to Allialla. If you want to bump into each other and say a few words while on the way, that's 100% A-okay with me.
As for Vulpiano's topic, I just have this to say: the Broken Circle was been around for ages, long enough where they were around during the Wonder Wars against the Kyton Exarchs. You all could have joined at any point past when the initial group was broken by betrayal, as I have both lore and plans for those first members of the Broken Circle. So you can be either recent recruits or members for centuries if you want.
It's no secret that Hyraeatan's Circle of Wardens have been involved in a number of occurrences considered strange even by the wider planar community. Over the eons, the Wardens have broken the arachnid hivemind known as the Runeweb that was draining Hyraeatan's magical energies to dark gods of the Void with a song, led a suicide attack into the heart of the Vile Geometries to devastate the fleshwarped armies of the Kyton Exarchs who sough the power of the Orbs of Wonder, put an end to the rebellion of the Lightbringer Parity and the vengeful archfey Hyandil the Flowering Queen, united the feuding gods of Trine Libria to break the siege on Hyraeatan perpetrated by the forces of Nyarlathotep the Crawling Chaos, and rooted out countless mirrorkin spies and assassins during the Sarrossian Infiltration, among even stranger things. The Wardens belonging to the infamous Broken Circle, a legend even among Hyraeatan's other famed Circles, are no exception to this rule and have dealt with many extraordinary circumstances and planar crises. But none could foresee the strange twists and turns of the tale they would get drawn into.
You are a member of Hyraeatan's infamous Broken Circle and, as you layed down to rest on a seemingly innocuous night beneath the shifting lights of the Radia, you were drawn into a deep, lucid dream. All was dark and silent at first, save for the rythmic ticking of some great clock echoing ponderously in the void. Then your eyes began to focus and a small room of pleasantly-curving, but unnatural, angles came into view. Glowing goldfish the color of an aurora swam through the air near the ceiling, vibrant potted plants of alien origin swayed gently to a silent tune in the corners of the room, and the scent of lavender and rose petals lingered pleasantly in the liminal space. It was after taking in your strange surroundings that your eyes would alight on a solitary figure sitting at a tastefully appointed desk in the middle of the room, which you were sure was not there when you began observing the room. The elegant woman wore a lacy dress like purple and black smoke woven into spidersilk and had hair white as spun moonlight. Her eyes, which oscillated through dusky, vespertine hues of gold, orange, and purple, were fixed on you with great interest and her delicate lips curled into a faint, knowing smile. "Please, have a seat, character's name." the woman said as she gracefully motioned to the chair between the two of you with a delicate hand wrapped in a glove of black lace, "I'm sure you have many questions, Warden of the Broken Circle."
You and the woman spoke at length and she revealed to you that her name is Magdalena the Twilight Seer and that she serves the King of Dreams who rules over the bright side of the Dreamlands. The King, she says, requests an audience with the Broken Circle at his palace in Allialla, the City at the End of the Dream, to discuss a matter of great importance to both the Dreamlands and the Wardens. The Achorstone of Shifting Dreams, an artifact of great power that helps stabilize the connection between the Dreamlands and the Shadow Lattice, has gone missing and even the most powerful divinations have failed. The rest of the details, she says, should come directly from the King himself. At the end of your conversation, she handed you a palm-sized key of shifting, opalescent energy. "This is one of the Thirteen Keys of Somnos that can open a door directly to the heart of the Dreamlands from anywhere in the multiverse. You need but insert the key into the air and turn it with intent and a gate will open to you and yours that will allow you to travel bodily to my lord's domain."
As the conversation began to come to a close, the sonorous ringing of a great church bell echoed through the room. "Ah, it seems our time is up and you must return to the waking world. Thank you so very much for your time, character's name. It is with the sincerest of hopes that I pray you and your comrades will answer my lord's call, that we may work together and bring this tale to a satisfactory conclusion." She places a hand over her heart in an elegant sweeping motion and bows to you, "Until next we meet, dear Warden." And with that the dream shimmers and warps like a painting beneath the water's surface before fading once more into darkness. You wake up back in Hyraeatan feel refreshed and rejuvenated as if you had a very long, very pleasant slumber. Before you can write off the Twilight Seer's visit as just a figment of your imagination, you feel something in your hand (or beak in the First Flame's case) and, upon examining it, see that it is the Key of Somnos that she gave you in the dream. It seems that your much-needed break has come to a close and the Broken Circle's next mission has begun.
