The Planewalkers' Journies

[Shinigori V2]

"No reason..." Shawn says. "...Get some sleep. I'll hold this for you. When you're rested, I'll figure out a way to get you out."

[Kelne]

Asp's eyes immediately light on the bucket of water, which he scoops up awkwardly and uses to douse the burning chair. He can't very well leave this fascinating building to go up in smoke after all.

[Idran1701]

Xaos

Grabbing the bucket, Asp hauls it inside. It sloshes around as he steadies it, needing both hands to keep his grip, but he manages to quench the fire (and a good deal of the floor as well). Smoke spins out from the burnt piece of furniture as water drips to the floor.

Outside, Haz'kiah checks the area but is unable to find any sign of his friend. With worry and confusion, he begins investigating the area, sighing in exasperation as he heads off to the nearby neighbors to ask around. Meanwhile, something in the dirt near the abandoned tools catches Rosalyn's eye. In the dirt is a fresh, wine-red stain, still wet, and a few out-of-place leaves, the source of either nowhere to be seen nearby.

---

Limbo

"Oh, this place holds itself mostly," the being says. It floats near an archway that stands from the small rock, a frown in its voice. "That thing keeps it, I think. It'll take forever for it to fall apart while that's there."

[Kelne]

Immediate threat passed, Asp firmly closes the furnace door. No sense leaving it to set anything else on fire, after all. His attention is then caught by the decorative glass pieces. Asp picks up one of the smaller pieces and studies it in fascination for a few moments before absently pocketing it and returning to the problem at hand.

Certainly, people leave their doors open all the time (this is practically an article of faith to kender, albeit one frequently debated by everyone else), but they're considerable less likely to leave their houses on fire. This, coupled with Haz'kiah's distress, points towards Foul Play. Fairly bubbling over at the prospect of a mystery, Asp sets about looking for Clues.

[Seethe]

Seeing the red stain, Rosalyn's worry becomes all the more heightened. The scattered leaves catch her attention as well, and she examines them more closely, hoping that they may perhaps lead to a trail she could follow.

[Idran1701]

Xaos?

Rosalyn looks over what she's found...it's got a vague scent to it, but she can't exactly place it. It's definitely not blood, though. As for the tracks, once she's started to look for them, they pop out at her almost instantly. A half-dozen people passed through here recently, all humanoid. The grass is pressed down all over nearby, and there's a few imprints in the dirt. The trail seems to stretch out away from the city, but she doesn't see any signs of dragging or whatnot; whoever they were came in and left willingly.

Meanwhile, Asp pokes around inside the building. It's well lived-in, but he doesn't find anything that would suggest what might have happened. He does, however, find a small hidey-hole near the bed, a loose floorboard with a small sack stashed away underneath. Haz'kiah heads back outside while Asp investigates his findings - a few dozen gold pieces, a pair of rings, and a slim, unadorned copper bracelet.

[Kelne]

It was a testament to Asp's self-control that only one of the rings went into his pouch before the bag was replaced. While undeniably interesting, it clearly didn't constitute a clue. Shrugging, Asp wandered back outside, "So, did you find anything?" he asked Rosalyn.

[Seethe]

"It looks like there's a trail here we should be able to follow," Rosalyn answered. "There's also some kind of stain, but I can't quite tell what it is. Thought it might have been blood, but it isn't."

[Besyanteo]

Lorraine smiled.

"Thank you... I, uhm... That is... "

She shook her head, and laughed very briefly in a pitch that was slightly too high.

"Maybe I'll try again after sleeping."

She picked a place to lie down, pulled a pillow with a shallow cut on one side form her pack, and just tried to sleep on the grass.

[Idran1701]

Dezordr

Asp takes a look himself on the stain Rosalyn found. Kneeling down, he gets a faint wisp of a smell from what's left...it smells like wine.

---

Limbo

Lying down on the ground, it doesn't take Lorraine long to drift off to sleep. Aaron swoops down near her, perching near her head protectively and closing his own eyes. 'Jack' watches them, popping into an ice sculpture and turning to face Shawn. "So you're staying here for a while then?"

[Shinigori V2]

"Yes." Shawn says. "I can't leave her here. I...I just can't."

[Idran1701]

Limbo

"Oh. All right. It's not boring here yet, so I'll stay too until it is."

It floats over by the archway, seeming to be examining it. It prods it with a tendril of ice, but the portal gives no reaction. If Shawn concentrates, she can spot the otherwise-invisible aura that signifies a portal, but for whatever the reason, it seems dormant for now. "That space she came from must have fallen apart, it's just empty now. I thought it was always solid there?"

[Shinigori V2]

"Something might have happened." Shawn says, returning to her normal form for the time being.

[Idran1701]

Limbo

"Oh. Yeah, things happen a lot."

[Kelne]

"Huh, smells like wine," Asp remarks, straightening up, "Maybe someone smashed a bottle over his head. Or drugged him. Anyway, tracks," he concludes, focusing on these. After all, tracks would surely lead to answers. And maybe, if they were lucky, more questions.

[Seethe]

Could it really just be wine? Despite the fact that it looked and smelled like wine?

For a moment, Rosalyn felt a bit silly. But at least she had the tensity of the situation to blame things on.

Moving right along then...

"The tracks don't look like anybody was dragged," Rosalyn said. "The guy... probably left on his own two feet anyway. But he did leave his furnace open..."

She thought about that for a moment.

"Maybe he was coerced into going somehow," the girl thought aloud. "Or maybe this was just a robbery and not an abduction. That wouldn't explain why he isn't here, though... unless he just hasn't been here since it happened..."

Whatever it was, she saw only one way to find out.

"Shall we follow?"

[Idran1701]

That One Place

Hearing Asp's description, Haz'kiah's frown deepens even further. He sighs as he says, "...Bacchae. He was certainly coerced. I should have known, I had heard one of their bands was nearby. They're a roving band of drunkards, petitioners and planars alike, that wander the chaotic planes in an endless carousal. Those that drink with them no longer know themselves after a time, they know only the drink. He may still have time, though, if this is as recent as it appears.

"Please, if you could retrieve him. But know that they do have many means to attempt to coerce you into joining them. And they react badly, even violently, to attempts at imposing any sort of order on them. They are unlikely to relinquish him if merely asked."

[Kelne]

"Wow, that does sound like fun!" Asp says brightly, "Of course we'll help! We'll need a description of the guy; need to know who we're rescuing and all that."

[Idran1701]

Limbo

While Lorraine rests, Shawn waits by her side. The being flits about the floating rock, shifting every few minutes or thereabouts and entertaining itself as best it can. It asks for the occasional tale of Shawn's travels, but other than that, it seems to amuse itself easily enough.

At least half a day passes before Lorraine begins to stir. Although she doesn't feel entirely recovered from her ordeal, she feels much better than she had been in days, at least. Aaron remains asleep for now, resting as best he can while clinging to the rock. It's not an especially good perch, but it serves him well enough.

---

Xaos

"His name is Wendell. He's a male half-elf, slightly shorter than myself, with graying hair."

[Kelne]

"Right then, leave it to us!" Asp says, rubbing his hands together at the prospect of Adventure. "Come on, Rosalyn!" With that, he sets off in pursuit of the tracks, contemplating how to get someone away from a bunch of angry drunks.

[Seethe]

As soon as Asp was off, Rosalyn gave a quick bow of her head to Haz'Kiah, then hurried after her compatriot. From what she had just been told, it seemed likely that this business was going to get messy. As always, she of course hoped it wouldn't, but that hope looked slim. It was a good thing she had come along, then.

Of course, given the numbers that they were apparently going to be dealing with, charging in swinging didn't seem like the best option...

[Besyanteo]

Lorraine sat up, yawned and looked about. She was groggy with sleep and still tired. Getting up seemed like a terrible idea. However, the idea of leaving this place was a great motivator. She forced her eyes open, and looked around.

[Idran1701]

X

The two head off, Rosalyn following the tracks to lead the way. Before long, the echoing cry of a drunken ruckus can be heard ahead. Soon after, they spot the group on the horizon, and slowly catch up to it. After an hour or so, they draw close enough to pick out details. The mob's made up of a half-dozen human-looking types, men and women, in varying states of dress, each draped in grape vines and grasping a bottle or skin. On the edge of the mob, a half-elf matching Wendell's description trails along, and by all appearances looks to be enjoying himself, clinging to one of the women as the bacchae meander across the plains of the Outlands.

They haven't yet noticed Rosalyn and Asp - by all appearances, the two could probably go right up besides them and they might not be noticed.

---

Limbo

Lorraine glances around the floating rock she's been forced to call home these last days. Near the portal, a mass of thistles floats, pulling itself into an arch-like shape in mimicry. Near her head, Aaron still sleeps, sending Lorraine vague images of hawk dreams. And at her side, Shawn sits, back in the form Lorraine is familiar with.

[Besyanteo]

Lorraine blinked several times. Surely that couldn't be right? Sleep was still in her eyes, and she was dreaming. That had to be it. She rubbed her eyes, and looked again... and yes, it was Shawn. The name was not a coincidence. But earlier she was... No, that was her business and she wasn't going to dwell on it right now. Right now, she wanted to get the hell out of this place, and back to somewhere she felt safe. Or at least somewhere the held more people.

Somewhat awkwardly, she said:

"Good morning."

[Shinigori V2]

Shawn smiles as she sees her companion coming around. "Hey." She says. "How're you feeling?"

[Besyanteo]

"Much better, thank you."

She stood, and stretched.

"So... you know the way to a portal nearby? Or even just a town or city that remains static?"

[Shinigori V2]

Assuming she can remember, Shawn will get them going in the direction of the city, shaping the land to be as easy to travel as possible.

[Besyanteo]

Lorraine picked up Aaron carefully, and followed Shawn.

"So... You now basically what I've been up to. What brings you to Limbo?"

[Shinigori V2]

"You know...Same old same old. Trying ot learn how to shape, too, I guess." Shawn says.

[Besyanteo]

Lorraine just nodded. She'd have talked, if she could think about much other than what she was leaving behind.

[Idran1701]

Limbo

Aaron wakes up as Lorraine lifts him up, feeling a little cranky for the interruption as he settles in on his perch on her shoulder. While Shawn makes their land - a nice, soft grassy field - and the two of them begin their walk back to the city, 'Jack' floats over to them, orbiting them impatiently. "If you're going back to that solid place with all the people, I'm going to stay out here. I think if either of you come out here again, I will probably find you. You're both less boring than I thought you might be."

[Kelne]

"So, what do you think?" Asp asks cheerfully, "I distract them while you grab our guy and leg it?" Not the most involved or subtle of plans, but it's probably best not to give the bacchae a chance to induct them into their ranks if they can help it.

[Shinigori V2]

"Yeah, that's fine." Shawn said. Jack wasn't...actually half bad. But she thought maybe that's because, on some level, she could relate to him.

[Seethe]

"Sounds like a plan," Rosalyn agreed after a moment of thought.

Simple, but that could be a good thing. Not as much that could go wrong, at least. Hopefully.

[Besyanteo]

Lorraine managed to smile. The petitioner was annoying, but it wasn't trying to be, she was pretty sure, so she could at least be polite.

"See you when we see you."

[Idran1701]

Limbo

Heading off, their petitioner friend heads into the broth, soon getting lost amidst the plane. And so the two head back, Shawn forming the path ahead of them as they walk. Lorraine's temporary home falls behind, soon vanishing from sight. Nothing but the soup of Limbo surrounds them, but Shawn seems to know where she's going.

Hours pass before Lorraine gets the first look at the Floating City. A massive collection of spires floating alongside one another, connected by arching and swooping pathways. Small figures move about from path to path, showing just how big these pillars of stone are; each one must contain at least 6 buildings stacked atop one another, some far more. The occasional burst of light issues up; signs of the still-ongoing celebration in the center of githzerai religion.

I wasn't sure if Shawn was heading back to the place she left from, or up to the city itself, so I'll let that stay up to you.

Also, Kelne, I'll want to know what sort of distraction exactly Asp has in mind before I can GM for you.

[Kelne]

"Right then," Asp says, "Be ready." With that, he begins to scurry round to the front of the group, taking care to maintain safe distance from them until he's in position. He does actually have a plan of sorts. What better way to rile up and distract a chaotically inclined group than to adopt the most lawful (and perhaps also evil, given various peoples' opinions) occupation he can think of?

Once ahead of the group, he lets them close to within about 60 feet before popping up and proclaiming, "Besotted peasants! In the name of Dragon Highlord Ariakis, I demand the immediate payment of your accumulated back taxes!"

To the best of his knowledge, there has never been such a thing as a kender tax collector before. Certainly there were none in the service of Ariakis, though he's sure there would have been volunteers if he'd asked. There have been a few attempts to collect taxes from kender. It never seems to end all that well for the tax collectors, somehow. In any case, Asp is quite ready to flee the soon-to-be-enraged mob, perhaps slowing the front ranks with a well-placed spell or two.

[Idran1701]

Y

The disorderly group of bubbers stops short at the sudden declaration, staring at Asp through wine-clouded eyes. With a scowl, their rage builds, and as he'd hoped, they begin charging for him with clenched fists and filthy, untrimmed fingernails bared. All their attention is focused on the kender, giving Rosalyn ample opportunity to grab the semi-captive Wendell.

---

Limbo

Shawn continues their path, leading the two of them to a specific spire near the outskirts of the city. The hole in the wall is still open, apparently left so for her sake, though the room beyond is empty. The door stands open, though, and it doesn't take long for the two to encounter another Anarch in the building; Thilqua, in fact. Though pleased to see Shawn return safely, she's obviously deeply concerned for Lorraine's sorry state. "Have you found a lost traveler, Shawn?" Turning to Lorraine, she continues, "I am Thilqua, and I welcome you to the Floating City. You look strongly in need, you must be taken care of before you are allowed to depart."

For Bes's sake, here's the description of the Anarch's Guild headquarters, their symbol, and Thilqua herself.

[Shinigori V2]

"Yes" Shawn says, exhausted. "Please...She's a friend of mine..."

[Besyanteo]

Lorraine looked over herself breifly. How bad must she look? Probably as much as she felt tired, on reflection. Now that she was further from the danger, it was hard to feel the urgency that had been so dire before. All she'd need to worry about now were the dreams... but she'd been too tired to even dream when she slept earlier. With luck, it would be the same now.

She did her best to look serene as she smiled for Thilqua, but the effect was somewhat hampered by the rest of her appearance.

"Thank you, that's very kind."