As the table settles down from O.L.L.I's leavetaking, a dignified older gentleman dressed in rich-looking vestments approaches the table. He is either a well-worn 40's or well preserved 50's, it is hard to tell, but he gives off an air of confidence and experience. Although dressed exquisitely, a well-worn workmanlike scabbard hangs from his jewelled sash.
"Excuse me cutters. I am looking for Karrin Kind?"
As the table settles down from O.L.L.I's leavetaking, a dignified older gentleman dressed in rich-looking vestments approaches the table. He is either a well-worn 40's or well preserved 50's, it is hard to tell, but he gives off an air of confidence and experience. Although dressed exquisitely, a well-worn workmanlike scabbard hangs from his jewelled sash.
"Excuse me cutters. I am looking for Karrin Kind?"
"That's me!" Karrin says after licking her fingers clean, "Wazzup?"
"That's me!" Karrin says after licking her fingers clean, "Wazzup?"
"Ah, a pleasure to make your acquaintance young lady."
The gentleman shakes Karrin's slightly sticky digits gingerly
"Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Renkar Sha'Hagmid, a factor of the Planar Trading Consortium. My superior Spiral Hal'Oight wished me to meet with you as matters of extreme importance have diverted his attention. He wanted me to tender his express apologies, and as a sign of his chagrin at leaving you stranded here at this inn, a small bonus for your wasted time."
Renkar fishes within his silken garments, coming out with a white linen satchel that clinks with the sweet sound of gold pieces as it hits the bone-strewn table. Renkar fishes further into his robe and takes out a silken hankerchief which he runs over his fingers, paying attention to several large rings that have picked up a touch of sauce.
"Would you allow me the pleasure of buying you and your companions a round?"
The small form of Sharinda darts back through the busy tables, dishing drinks and snacks to various patrons. Halting in front of Vik, she begins putting out several dishes with a savory smell.
"There you go luv, one lamb curry, some Naan bead, a pale ale. I brought a crock of some mango chutney in case yer one of those what likes it."
Sharinda takes in the new arrival.
"Anything else? Something for yeh to drink sir?"
Sharinda looks around the table
"Anyone else need a refresher?"
"I sense that all is not well with you little one. If you have a problem you need discussed, I am more than willing to try to aid you. Otherwise you can rejoin the others in the common room."Phoebus gestures to the basalt stones set in the wall
"Just walk to the stones there and say 'The World Serpent Inn' in Common and you will be returned."
Smokey mutters something that could pass for a 'thank you' but was probably obscene. He walks up to the stones and says 'nni tnepres dlrow eht' in hopes that tonight will be the night that 'she-who-suckles-snakes-at-her-many-teated-bosom' will let him die.
Smokey mutters something that could pass for a 'thank you' but was probably obscene. He walks up to the stones and says 'nni tnepres dlrow eht' in hopes that tonight will be the night that 'she-who-suckles-snakes-at-her-many-teated-bosom' will let him die.
The backwards chanting seems to have opened a portal, but it is not the hallway to the World Serpent Inn. Smokey finds himself looking across a forest glade where a ring of small mushroom-shaped houses gather. In the distance a faint strain of 'la--la--la-la-la-la' singing can be heard. Phoebus jumps to his feet and calls out in his deep voice.
"OOGHALOOK AL-BAB!"
The strange forest scene is replaced once again with the walls of Phoebus' room
"Be careful little one. That portal can take you many places, not all of them friendly."
"Ah, a pleasure to make your acquaintance young lady."
The gentleman shakes Karrin's slightly sticky digits gingerly
"Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Renkar Sha'Hagmid, a factor of the Planar Trading Consortium. My superior Spiral Hal'Oight wished me to meet with you as matters of extreme importance have diverted his attention. He wanted me to tender his express apologies, and as a sign of his chagrin at leaving you stranded here at this inn, a small bonus for your wasted time."
Renkar fishes within his silken garments, coming out with a white linen satchel that clinks with the sweet sound of gold pieces as it hits the bone-strewn table. Renkar fishes further into his robe and takes out a silken hankerchief which he runs over his fingers, paying attention to several large rings that have picked up a touch of sauce.
"Would you allow me the pleasure of buying you and your companions a round?"
"You bet!" Want a buffalo wing?" Karrin says sliding the plate towards Renkar, "careful though, they're really hot, and a buffalo is like a chicken so you can't eat the bones. Oh, concerning the matter with your boss, no worries, I'm just glad he hasn't forgotten about me! If he wants he could just let me open a tab in his name, that would be like keeping me on retainer, and it could be cheaper in the long run. I don't drink nothing but grog, milk, or water."
Oh, concerning the matter with your boss, no worries, I'm just glad he hasn't forgotten about me! If he wants he could just let me open a tab in his name, that would be like keeping me on retainer, and it could be cheaper in the long run. I don't drink nothing but grog, milk, or water."
Renkar leans back and reaches into his robe again.
"I think something can be arrainged. Lord Spiral is unable to move forward with his plans at the moment, but he will want you at the ready when he does."
Renkar removes a folded vellum parchment. He turns to Sharinda who is waiting for any orders.
"Dear lady I am peckish. Perhaps a plate of the delicious lamb dish I see this fine gentleman here enjoying. Also a glass of good white wine, perhaps a sparkling Glorium or a Bytopian Zinfandel."
Renkar hands Sharinda the piece of vellum
"This is a letter of credit from the Planar Trading Consortium, please give it to Mitchifer with my compliments and tell him that Miss Kind has a line of credit with us until further notice."
Renkar leans close to Sharinda and speaks softly
"within reason of course"
"Oh I was wondering," Karrin says, glancing over at the curry dish, "What's that taste like?"
She look on with interest, but begins attacking the plate of buffalo wings while waiting for an answer. Karrin, ever the messy eater, manages to get hot sauce all over her hands, mouth, and even the tip of her nose.
"When traveling your native food never tastes like home but how wonderful to have some after weeks. And who would expect to find such spices in this odd place... where ever we happen to be."
<Waves his hand around. Pushes the plate toward Karrin.>
"Have a little taste. You take some of the flat bread and scoop up the curry."
<Drinks a large swallow of beer.>
"And this beer is truly excellent. I say, when one travels one must, now and then, have something to remind one of home."
<Pushes the plate toward Karrin.>"Have a little taste. You take some of the flat bread and scoop up the curry."
Karrin tears a piece off of naan bread and takes a generous dip of the curry sauce.
"Num," Karrin says as she pops it into her mouth.
"Say, that's really good!" she says a moment later, "Kinda spicy too. I like spicy foods, the spicier the better, and I'm always looking for new things. Hey Vik, you ever try a buffalo wing?" Karrin asks sliding the dish towards the Indian gentleman, "They're pretty spicy too. But if you want really spicy try this dip. I know it's spicy cuz it's stripping the paint off of the wood where I spilled some earlier! Oh but let me warn you, keep the sauce out of your eyes, if you think it's spicy in your mouth you don't want to know what it feels like on your eyeballs! Oh and don't eat the bones," she glances over at Serpico who's happily crunching away, "unless your reptilian I guess."
"Why thank these are quite aromatic and delicious! And hello to you my good sir!"
<nods at Serpico.>
"Sorry if I have ignored you but you just never know who can talk and who can't out here on the planes. Oh I see you can unhinge your jaw.... truly amazing!"
Sharinda finishes scribbling down Renkar's order
"All right sir, one plate of lamb curry and some white wine. Everyone else set? "
Sharinda looks over at Karrin
"Any of that lamb curry for you ducks?"
Sharinda looks at Vik, Ashura and Serpico
"You cutters good for now?"
<Braaap!.>
"Marvelous thank you young lady."
Sharinda looks over at Karrin"Any of that lamb curry for you ducks?"
"Well I probably shouldn't" Karrin says looking over at the food, "but then again I could always skip desert. Maybe just a small plate and some of that flat bread."
Karrin pours herself another mug of grog.
"This is going to take quite the work out to burn off," Karrin says returning to the nachos, "I normally don't eat this much," she lies, "but I guess all this talk is making me hungry!"
Well I probably shouldn't" Karrin says looking over at the food, "but then again I could always skip desert. Maybe just a small plate and some of that flat bread."
Sharinda scribbles a last note down
"All right ducks, I'll be right back with yer orders. Sir kobold? you good with those eggs?"
Renkar leans back in anticipation of a nice dinner and looks around the busy bar.
"Quite a clientele here. I have not seen anything as cosmopolitan since I attended one of the Sensates' Open Cotillions at the Civic Festhall."
Renkar leans back in anticipation of a nice dinner and looks around the busy bar.
"Quite a clientele here. I have not seen anything as cosmopolitan since I attended one of the Sensates' Open Cotillions at the Civic Festhall."
"You've been around?" Karrin asks, "I've seen only a small little bit of all existence, but I know there's lots to see. Once I counted the doors in this place, even though I know it's a pointless task cuz the place keeps shifting, and I counted nearly two hundred doors before I got board. Now if only a tenth lead to worlds like the one grew up on that's twenty worlds! Each world would have hundreds of different races and cultures, strange magic, buildings, and clothing. Back home I could have spent my entire life exploring my world and never seen it all, but here, on the planes, I couldn't even hope to see everything if I had a hundred lifespans."
Karrin grabs a hand full of nachos and pops them into her mouth. "It really makes you feel kinda small."
"You've been around?" Karrin asks, "I've seen only a small little bit of all existence, but I know there's lots to see. Once I counted the doors in this place, even though I know it's a pointless task cuz the place keeps shifting, and I counted nearly two hundred doors before I got board. Now if only a tenth lead to worlds like the one grew up on that's twenty worlds! Each world would have hundreds of different races and cultures, strange magic, buildings, and clothing. Back home I could have spent my entire life exploring my world and never seen it all, but here, on the planes, I couldn't even hope to see everything if I had a hundred lifespans."
Karrin grabs a hand full of nachos and pops them into her mouth. "It really makes you feel kinda small."
Renkar smiles at the young woman's enthusiasm
"I have been to a few places in my time. Once when I was about your age I traveled in an adventuring company known as the Silver Arrow. We specialized in extreme environment extractions."
Renkar leans back and produces a well-worn meerschuam pipe which he begins to fill with pipeweed.
"I have been lucky to see many wonders in my time: The Deep Ethereal, the Plane of Mineral, the stony god corpses of the Astral Plane. I have seen Celestia's hosts advancing on a horde of Tanarr'i so large that the horizon was filled with them. I have watched the Slaadi dancing their maddening mating dance in Limbo. There are wonders and nightmares aplenty to see out on the Great Wheel."
Renkar lights his pipe off the table's large central oil lamp.
"But now I allow those who are a bit spryer take the lead while I supervise. It is your turn for adventure, and my turn to sit in comfort and await your return."
Renkar puffs his pipe contentedly
"That is so amazing. In my travels I have learned that on some planes there is no magic and the people travel through space in great machines. They have weapons that can destroy worlds, and I have heard tales told of than some can even destroy suns. It is both terrifying and amazing."
<Shovels in a load of curry.>
"What interests me most are the works of art, the music, and the poetry of the people I have studied. So wonderful, I wish to build an art gallery in a place such as this, it would be far more... moving than a... tavern."
"Sharinda?"
<coughs>
"Coffeeeeeeeeeee," Eir groans from her lonely table at the back.
“That’s enough for me!” exclaims Ashura, pushing away the plate of fries and looking up from her data pad. “Don’t want to get fat.”
“Speaking of weapons that can destroy worlds, I really hafta get back. Earthforce was planning a major attack – we think – and I was supposed to be flying recon on them.” She puts her chin in her hands, looking glum. “War sucks, you know?” She perks up a little. “Gotta love the flying though!”
“That’s enough for me!” exclaims Ashura, pushing away the plate of fries and looking up from her data pad. “Don’t want to get fat.”
“Speaking of weapons that can destroy worlds, I really hafta get back. Earthforce was planning a major attack – we think – and I was supposed to be flying recon on them.” She puts her chin in her hands, looking glum. “War sucks, you know?” She perks up a little. “Gotta love the flying though!”
"You should learn to swing an axe!" Karrin laughs, "You'll never get fat if you got things to swat! Fighting is great for burning calories."
Karrin glances back and forth between Vik and Renkar, "That's amazing, Limbo and the Astral Plane, they sound amazing, and a weapon that can destroy suns . . . I think we've all wanted one of those at one time or another. That silly sun has a bad habit of showing up when I'm sleeping and having a good dream. I think I might get me one of those just in case . . ."
Sharinda?"
<coughs>
"Coffeeeeeeeeeee," Eir groans from her lonely table at the back.
Sharinda veers off her trajectory towards the kitchen with her latest round of requests and bustles up to the slumped form of Eir.
"Aww ducks, you look like yeh had a wee too much of the creature."
Sharinda pats Eir's back gently
"No worries luv. Mitchifer brews a special cup of coffee can bring the dead back to life. I'll fetch yeh a good mug of it on me way back. You just rest there."
Sharinda hustles off to the kitchens
"That is so amazing. In my travels I have learned that on some planes there is no magic and the people travel through space in great machines. They have weapons that can destroy worlds, and I have heard tales told of than some can even destroy suns. It is both terrifying and amazing."
Renkar puffs on his pipe meditatively
"Aye. I have seen worlds where they have used weapons like that. Although they haven't destroyed the world, they sure put it in disarray! I once went to a world where they had figured a way to rip the fabric of the multiverse itself. Their machines stopped working and their civilization collapsed. They now have only weapons like ours, and no magic or science. I was tracking down a necromantic lich who had kidnapped a proxy of Vishnu and traveled there to hide ... but that's a long drawn out story."
"That is so amazing. In my travels I have learned that on some planes there is no magic and the people travel through space in great machines. They have weapons that can destroy worlds, and I have heard tales told of than some can even destroy suns. It is both terrifying and amazing."Renkar puffs on his pipe meditatively
"Aye. I have seen worlds where they have used weapons like that. Although they haven't destroyed the world, they sure put it in disarray! I once went to a world where they had figured a way to rip the fabric of the multiverse itself. Their machines stopped working and their civilization collapsed. They now have only weapons like ours, and no magic or science. I was tracking down a necromantic lich who had kidnapped a proxy of Vishnu and traveled there to hide ... but that's a long drawn out story."
Karrin listens and smiles, very much enjoying the conversation, but also secretly wishing she had something interesting to share.
"Has either of you visited heaven?" Karrin finally finds the nerve to ask, "I hear it's quite near here and my father was very much intent on me going there . . ."
Has either of you visited heaven?" Karrin finally finds the nerve to ask, "I hear it's quite near here and my father was very much intent on me going there . . ."
Renkar smiles at the young Tiefling, his head wreathed in aromatic smoke.
"I've been to several heavens, Miss Kind. Which deity do you worship?"
Renkar smiles at the young Tiefling, his head wreathed in aromatic smoke."I've been to several heavens, Miss Kind. Which deity do you worship?"
"Rao," Karrin says with a thoughtful look on her face, "it's really strange, a few years ago it wouldn't have mattered. There was only heaven or hell. You either went one way or the other."
Rao," Karrin says with a thoughtful look on her face, "it's really strange, a few years ago it wouldn't have mattered. There was only heaven or hell. You either went one way or the other."
"Ah. I have not been to that deity's realm."
Renkar puffs on his pipe
"You have to keep in mind Miss Kind, that the Planes are a hard place to get your brainbox around. Your god can have an almost infinite realm, but be adjacent to another god's almost infinite realm. How? because an ALMOST infinite realm will be orders of magnitude smaller than an ACTUALLY infinite realm. The homes of the angels and demons lay in places that are almost beyond the understanding of mortals. Still, we travel there. We are the bricks and mortar that hold the multiverse together. Our actions and belief power the very beings we worship and build their realms. If we ever stop believeing, a god can wither and die, its' corpse doomed to become a floating island in the great Silver Sea of the Astral Plane. I myself have stood upon the corpse of some forgotten god out of the dawn of time and experienced the memory hallucinations the flickering life force of the deity throws off as the embers of its divine spark slowly gutter out over the aeons."
Sharinda arrives at the prone form of Eir. She puts down a large stoneware mug with aromatic vapors rising from it
"There yeh go luv. That should get the collywobbles out."
Sharinda makes the rounds of her tables, dispensing food and bub until she gets to Karrin's side.
"Here's yer curry ducks, eat hearty."
She puts another plate by Renkar and a bottle of wine with a balloon glass. a large plater of gently steaming Naan bread is placed between them.
"There yeh go sir. That's a white wine from the power Yondalla's own vineyards on Celestia. Mitchifer sends his compliments and says the letter of credit is approved."
Sharinda looks around
"Anything else before I go off again?"
Karrins eyes get wider and wider as Renkar speaks, she even stops eating as he continues, her mouth opens agape after hearing of the dead god, and it takes a full second or so after Sharinda question before Karrin is able to respond.
"Nope I'm good," Karrin says with a smile, instantly back to her old carefree self, and Sharinda scarcely puts the plate in front of Karrin before the tiefling has a piece of naan bread to dip in it. Karrin moves fast. Especially when it comes to food.
"So what you're saying," Karrin says between bites, "is gods are built on the belief of their followers. Now does this mean that the god comes first or the belief? Cuz I'm thinking that there'd be a all powerful super-happy god of slaking off and not doing anything if that were the case . . . as for infinite, meh, I've heard that word thrown around a lot sense I got hear. I'm not sure it means what people think it means. I really don't think there can be 'near infinite' (no offense) there can be a lot, and what I mean about that is that if I lived to be a hundred and fifty (which is the oldest tiefling on records I could find, one of the first things I looked up when I got here and realized that tieflings were pretty common), anyways if I lived to be a hundred and fifty and visited 150 planes a year . . . that would be 22500 different planes, and I think we can both say that would be a lot. But if my life span were 22500 years and I visited as many planes for every year of my life," Karrin's eyes look up as she does the math in her head, "that'll be like 500 million, and again that's be an awful lot, but that'd still be nowhere near the magical and unimaginable 'infinite' . . . although I'm sure it might be closer to the number a variables that make up the planes then infinite would be."
Karrin stops to scratch her head. Clearly she's not quite as bubble brained as some might believe . . .
"But I admit I don't understand everything about the planes and the word infinite might mean something completely different here!" she says with a laugh which suddenly fades as Karrin's face grows serious, "Tell me more about this dead god."
Nope I'm good," Karrin says with a smile, instantly back to her old carefree self, and Sharinda scarcely puts the plate in front of Karrin before the tiefling has a piece of naan bread to dip in it. Karrin moves fast. Especially when it comes to food.
"So what you're saying," Karrin says between bites, "is gods are built on the belief of their followers. Now does this mean that the god comes first or the belief? Cuz I'm thinking that there'd be a all powerful super-happy god of slaking off and not doing anything if that were the case . . . as for infinite, meh, I've heard that word thrown around a lot sense I got hear. I'm not sure it means what people think it means. I really don't think there can be 'near infinite' (no offense) there can be a lot, and what I mean about that is that if I lived to be a hundred and fifty (which is the oldest tiefling on records I could find, one of the first things I looked up when I got here and realized that tieflings were pretty common), anyways if I lived to be a hundred and fifty and visited 150 planes a year . . . that would be 22500 different planes, and I think we can both say that would be a lot. But if my life span were 22500 years and I visited as many planes for every year of my life," Karrin's eyes look up as she does the math in her head, "that'll be like 500 million, and again that's be an awful lot, but that'd still be nowhere near the magical and unimaginable 'infinite' . . . although I'm sure it might be closer to the number a variables that make up the planes then infinite would be."
Karrin stops to scratch her head. Clearly she's not quite as bubble brained as some might believe . . .
"But I admit I don't understand everything about the planes and the word infinite might mean something completely different here!" she says with a laugh which suddenly fades as Karrin's face grows serious, "Tell me more about this dead god."
Renkar nods approvingly at the young Tiefling
"You make some valid points Miss Kind. The problem with the Planes is that it is metaphysics made concrete. No one really has the dark of it, which is why factions in Sigil fight each other over the interpretation of what the Great Wheel represents. Each plane is ASSUMED to be infinite, but an assumption is just that, and assumption. We group realms together, and you can actually travel overland between some of them, but that really doesn't prove anything. Are there really an infinity of infinite planes of the Abyss? How ridiculous is an infinity of infinities? Unless they AREN'T infinite in some dimension we don't sense. Like I mentioned before, it is quite hard to get your brainbox around. Many have gone barmy just thinking about it."
Renkar pours some wine into his glass and sniffs it
"Ahhh ...ambrosia. As for the dead god, and your question of belief, once again I can only tell you what I believe. I think that the gods start out as either concepts or paragons of a race. Beings have need of a powerful intercessor who will aid them against harm. Over time, these intercessors garner power from the prayers and actions of their believers. As more and more beings pray to them they can even redistribute some of that power, which some call mana, as spells or powers to the especially faithful. This is seen by many of them as an investment, since when their faithful use this power it cements the faith of the god's followers."
Renkar pauses to take a small sip of wine
"Now when a god's followers die out, or its' power fades due to foolish overuse, attacks by rivals, etcetera, he or she becomes diminished. Sometimes they stabilize as a lesser power, like the Titans of Carceri, or some of the wood spirits on some prime worlds. Sometimes, even this existence is denied them."
Renkar takes a piece of naan bread and delicately dips it into the lamb curry
"The deities whose worshippers have left entirely and have used their mana up drift to the Silver Reaches of the Astral Plane. Their remaining energy manifests as a large corpus made of a rocky substance in a rough fascimilie of their divine incarnarion."
Renkar nibbles at his bread, followed by a healthy swig of the wine.
"Whoo, hot stuff. The god corpse I visited was still partially active. It could reach out to visitors and it would play a sort of vision in our minds as we walked across it. It had been a minor deity of a lizardman-type race in a distant crystal sphere. The deity's name was something close to Sleestak. Sleestak's memory visions were all scenes from his youth as a hero of the race (he had begun as mortal as you or I) to his existence as a god of war. Eventually, his followers were outcompeted by a race of proto-elves and they retreated to the swamps where they degenerated over time into brutishness. They forsook Sleestak for other eviler powers. Sleestak now drifts in the Silver Sea, his only companion the Githyanki who use his corpse as a convienient mooring spot for their astral dreadnoughts."
Renkar hazards another bite of the lamb curry
"It's a sad story, but one which has unfolded countless times over the years."
Phoebus looks over at the little gnome, seemingly frozen at the portal
"Here little one, I will bring you back to the inn."
Phoebus reaches the portal and intones loudly.
"The World Serpent Inn!"
The wall encased by the basalt stones shimmers and the familiar hallway to the World Serpent Inn reappears.
"There we are little one."
Phoebus helps the small insane gnome gently out to the hallway, unaware of a tiny blue form following him through the portal.
The tiny blue creature skitters after Phoebus and Smokey as they walk down the hallway towards the loud sounds of the common room. As they round the corner, the tiny creature beholds the wonder and chaos that is the World Serpent Inn
"Where the smurf am I?"
"Know what I think?" says looking up from her curry (her mouth and chin covered in the reddish orange sauce), "I don't think god are born, not really anyways, and I don't think they die either. In my world there's this god called Iuz, and he's a bad sort, but they say he was mortal once. But how could that be? I think he always was a god, forgotten, drifting around like a leaf blowing in the wind till he found his way to Oerth and he was reborn so to speak. Same with Zagyg. How do you make yourself a god? I think there are a lot of powerful people running about and I think most of them would be gods if that were really possible . . ."
Karrin returns to her meal, practically burying her face in her food, but anyone watching will note that Karrin does seem to be slowing down, "This is good," Karrin says, pointing down to the nearly clean plate, her face even more smeared (if that were possible), "so anyways, what I think is that the god really isn't dead, not as mortals know it anyways . . . he's just not alive, which might not be as big a distinction for god, cuz there's all sorts of dead and rotting gods where I come from, and this guy, this god, might one-day return when he's needed again."
Karrin's pointed tongue begins licking her face clean as if it had a mind of it's own. Gene Simmons would be proud as it easily sweeps from chin to the tip of the nose in one sweep before retreating inside her mouth to deposit the wayward food before emerging again to clean the other side.
"Know what I think?" says looking up from her curry (her mouth and chin covered in the reddish orange sauce), "I don't think god are born, not really anyways, and I don't think they die either. In my world there's this god called Iuz, and he's a bad sort, but they say he was mortal once. But how could that be? I think he always was a god, forgotten, drifting around like a leaf blowing in the wind till he found his way to Oerth and he was reborn so to speak. Same with Zagyg. How do you make yourself a god? I think there are a lot of powerful people running about and I think most of them would be gods if that were really possible . . ."
Karrin returns to her meal, practically burying her face in her food, but anyone watching will note that Karrin does seem to be slowing down, "This is good," Karrin says, pointing down to the nearly clean plate, her face even more smeared (if that were possible), "so anyways, what I think is that the god really isn't dead, not as mortals know it anyways . . . he's just not alive, which might not be as big a distinction for god, cuz there's all sorts of dead and rotting gods where I come from, and this guy, this god, might one-day return when he's needed again."
Renkar nods as Karrin talks
"Well that is the magic of the Great Wheel. No one knows the true dark of things. If enough people believe in something, on the Outer Planes it BECOMES real. For gods, it's kind of the 'what came first, the chicken or the egg?' type of debate. I know of at least ONE god (at least he was powered like a god) coming back from the Astral, so it IS possible to revive. Is anything truly lost? Is anything we see and experience really real? Perhaps we are just small facets of some unimaginably powerful beings who guide our destiny while doing countless other things. "
Renkar pauses to refresh his wineglass
"It's always a mystery."
The tiny blue creature darts and weaves among the strange feet of the many big creatures sitting, drinking and playing games through the common room. He shinnies up a table leg and manages to arrive at the top of the table where Eir sits with her fresh coffee.
"excuse me ma'am. Could you tell me where in the smurf this place is?"
Renkar nods as Karrin talks"Well that is the magic of the Great Wheel. No one knows the true dark of things. If enough people believe in something, on the Outer Planes it BECOMES real. For gods, it's kind of the 'what came first, the chicken or the egg?' type of debate. I know of at least ONE god (at least he was powered like a god) coming back from the Astral, so it IS possible to revive. Is anything truly lost? Is anything we see and experience really real? Perhaps we are just small facets of some unimaginably powerful beings who guide our destiny while doing countless other things. "
Renkar pauses to refresh his wineglass
"It's always a mystery."
"Ya," Karrin says taking the last hand full of nachos off the plate and stuffing them in her mouth, "a Musmurme" she mumbles.
"Well I think I'm full," Karrin says pushing away the empty plate and sliding what's left of the chicken wings in front of her, "I don't care if I eat any more," she says as she slowly nibbles on what's left of the chicken. "That was a really good meal. I won't need any snacks tonight! I should be good till breakfast!"
"Soooo," Karrin says looking mischievously at her friends, "What's the strangest thing you ever ate?" she looks around before continuing, "everyone's finished eating right?"
"Soooo," Karrin says looking mischievously at her friends, "What's the strangest thing you ever ate?" she looks around before continuing, "everyone's finished eating right?"
Renkar looks at his half-eaten curry.
"Well, I have eaten a lot of strange things. I once ate a small creature called a Wastem. It was a small bear-shaped creature the size of my hand made of a tapioca pudding-like substance. It was alive, and it giggled while I ate it."
Renkar experiences a fit of shudders
"I would not reccomend it."
Renkar looks over at Vik
"You have been quiet sir. Why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"
Renkar looks at his half-eaten curry.
"Well, I have eaten a lot of strange things. I once ate a small creature called a Wastem. It was a small bear-shaped creature the size of my hand made of a tapioca pudding-like substance. It was alive, and it giggled while I ate it."
Renkar experiences a fit of shudders
"I would not reccomend it."
Renkar looks over at Vik
"You have been quiet sir. Why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"
"Oh, I was gonna talk about the time I ate a bug, but that's pretty disgusting as well." Karrin says a little dejectedly, "I once ate an apple that had a worm in it . . . well I think it had a worm in it . . . never found the worm but there was a hole in the apple, and even after I ate around the hole I didn't see the worm."
"Oh, I was gonna talk about the time I ate a bug, but that's pretty disgusting as well." Karrin says a little dejectedly, "I once ate an apple that had a worm in it . . . well I think it had a worm in it . . . never found the worm but there was a hole in the apple, and even after I ate around the hole I didn't see the worm."
Renkar snorts at the visual of Karrin and the apple
"Yes, worms are pretty disgusting when they pop up in your fruit. I have often had to eat weevils in my hardtack while travelling, never a fun experience."
Renkar dips another piece of naan bread in his curry.
"One time I was on a distant plane, and there were these birdlike creatures that ate nothing BUT worms. They would gather large fruit and pile them on the ground until these large worms were attracted to the rotting mess. They would caw and hop all around, spearing the worms with their long beaks. The worms were five feet long, and would often try to stangle the birdmen as they tried to eat them! It was quite a sight."
Renkar finishes his curry and refills his empty wineglass
"But on a more serious note, what brought you to mercenary work Miss Kind?"
The tiny blue creature, receiving no reply to his query from the prone form of Eir, decides to try his luck elsewhere. He climbs back down the table leg and begins to dodge the various feet of the inn's patrons. He spies the table where Serpico, Vik, Karrin, Ashura and Renkar sit. Since these five look fairly friendly he decides to investigate. Reaching the table, he climbs the leg. He flips himself over the lip of the table, only to land in a spilled puddle of Efreeti's Tears hot sauce.
"Excuse me, but ... ow, oww, oww OW OWWW OWWWW!!!!
The tiny blue creature begins to howl and cavort among the flensed chicken bones on the table, his cries almost too shrill to understand.
"Smurf it off me ... SMURF IT OFF ME!
The tiny blue creature makes a beeline for the neglected lemon-wedge filled water pitcher at the center of the table. Executing a standing leap three times his own height, the tiny blue creature cannonballs into the almost-full pitcher, spraying the table's occupants with water.
"One time I was on a distant plane, and there were these birdlike creatures that ate nothing BUT worms. They would gather large fruit and pile them on the ground until these large worms were attracted to the rotting mess. They would caw and hop all around, spearing the worms with their long beaks. The worms were five feet long, and would often try to stangle the birdmen as they tried to eat them! It was quite a sight."
"That is a vile story, my friend Renkar. I applaud you."
"I once ate worms that were bred in the blood of a beast of burden. The breeders of these bloodworms, the Khavrak, ate them raw and living in bowls of blood from the very same creatures."
"Unfortunately, while the worms were unable to survive in the digestive tracts of my hosts, who were very hearty creatures, they were quite well adapted to mine. By the next morning I indeed needed very serious medical attention - would have died by the days end without it I'm sure. Very disgusting."
"On another world I stayed with some avian sentients, the Araakocra, for whom the delicacy of choice was the feces of a carnivorous caterpillar. Of course they neglected to tell me I was eating feces until it was in my mouth."
"I wonder if the house can provide anything for us to challenge our palates. OH SHARINDA MY BEAUTIFUL HOST, CAN YOU COME OVER HERE FOR A MOMENT!"
<Just at that moment the S#$%f begins running across the table.>
EARLIER
"excuse me ma'am. Could you tell me where in the s@#$f this place is?"
Eir remains motionless, her head on the table next to the empty bottle of psychotropic sake. Her pupils are fixed and dilated.
"It's not real. It's not real. It's not real. It's not real."
"S%#$f it off me ... S#$%F IT OFF ME!The tiny blue creature makes a beeline for the neglected lemon-wedge filled water pitcher at the center of the table. Executing a standing leap three times his own height, the tiny blue creature cannonballs into the almost-full pitcher, spraying the table's occupants with water.
"It talks"
<He looks at the others.>
"This fellow is probably not food."
<Back at the s@#$f.>
"Are you okay my little friend. This is our drinking water."
"But on a more serious note, what brought you to mercenary work Miss Kind?"
"Oh the usual, I wanted to help people, put bag guys in their place, and I figgured as long as I'm cracking skulls I might as well get paid for it. The only problem is that most of the people who need help can't afford to pay me. So I take work from people like your boss, folk like him have enemies similar to the folk I want to help, so if I'm careful I get to do what I want on someone else's dime. Don't tell your boss though . . . I'm not sure if he's the kind of person that likes taken' sides even if it is unintentional."
"That is a vile story, my friend Renkar. I applaud you.""I once ate worms that were bred in the blood of a beast of burden. The breeders of these bloodworms, the Khavrak, ate them raw and living in bowls of blood from the very same creatures."
"Unfortunately, while the worms were unable to survive in the digestive tracts of my hosts, who were very hearty creatures, they were quite well adapted to mine. By the next morning I indeed needed very serious medical attention - would have died by the days end without it I'm sure. Very disgusting."
"On another world I stayed with some avian sentients, the Araakocra, for whom the delicacy of choice was the feces of a carnivorous caterpillar. Of course they neglected to tell me I was eating feces until it was in my mouth."
"I wonder if the house can provide anything for us to challenge our palates. OH SHARINDA MY BEAUTIFUL HOST, CAN YOU COME OVER HERE FOR A MOMENT!"
<Just at that moment the S#$%f begins running across the table.>
Karrin was about to decline the offer. With a full belly of food, she has no intentions experimenting by packing some thing vile on top of what she's already eaten, but when the little blue man jumps up on the table and jumps into the water Karrin is left speechless.
Vik offers the sm[b][/b]urf a finger to pull him out of the water, then a hanky.
"Having a little trouble small fellow?"
That is a vile story, my friend Renkar. I applaud you."
"I once ate worms that were bred in the blood of a beast of burden. The breeders of these bloodworms, the Khavrak, ate them raw and living in bowls of blood from the very same creatures."
"Unfortunately, while the worms were unable to survive in the digestive tracts of my hosts, who were very hearty creatures, they were quite well adapted to mine. By the next morning I indeed needed very serious medical attention - would have died by the days end without it I'm sure. Very disgusting."
"On another world I stayed with some avian sentients, the Araakocra, for whom the delicacy of choice was the feces of a carnivorous caterpillar. Of course they neglected to tell me I was eating feces until it was in my mouth."
"Yes, food and customs often cause chaos to the planar traveller. The Wastem I had mentioned earlier was a staple of this restaurant/temple known as 'Church N' Munch' that served some of the most vile food imaginable. It was no wonder, as the world it was situated on was a giant trash midden/prison for a giant worlds-spanning empire. If anyone would have mentioned that the Wastem was actually ALIVE, and would giggle perversly while I ate it, I'm sure I would have chosen something else."
"Oh the usual, I wanted to help people, put bag guys in their place, and I figgured as long as I'm cracking skulls I might as well get paid for it. The only problem is that most of the people who need help can't afford to pay me. So I take work from people like your boss, folk like him have enemies similar to the folk I want to help, so if I'm careful I get to do what I want on someone else's dime. Don't tell your boss though . . . I'm not sure if he's the kind of person that likes taken' sides even if it is unintentional."
"Well, I cannot tell you much about your future mission Miss Karrin, but I will tell you that it will be more of a courier/expedition style rather than 'cracking skulls' as you put it. Lord Spiral rarely takes sides, except his own. He is involved in serveral ventures at the moment that reequire small reconaissance teams that ... "
The tiny blue man takes this moment to begin his hot-sauce dance.
"I say, what in the ... PLAH!"
Renkar receives a face full of lemon-scented water.