[PF][Planescape]The Purple-Grey Mists[IC]

[Proud Tortoise]

OOC (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=273091)

The world of Reib is dead.

This is the rumor being tossed around the planes, though the cause ranges from a massive explosion to hordes of rats overrunning the populace. Any natives from that world- which includes you- have been urged to come to the Central Square in the Commerce Quarter of the city of Union.

A raised platform has been set up at one end of the square. A small crowd of perhaps 100 people has gathered here.

If you want to, you can post to introduce yourself to any other party members in the same area of the square.

[Thump]

So that is the way that the world ended.

Somewhere in Union, a large crack appears in the street, spreading with an alarming frequency. The street gives, and underneath it...

Nobody could tell what it was, since there was naught but an evil red glow flowing from a single eye, but it rises from the rubble, shaking ancient chains off. The invisibility fades, and to all around, they see a figure of ancient legend;

RIRUKA THE FALLEN.

She takes a look around, and sees a commotion near the Commerce section. She immediately disappears, and reappears near a raised platform, now without the glow in her left eye and in her trademark noble's clothes.

"Reib... destroyed? An explosion?"

Many whispered conversations happen around her, and she hears the rumors being thrown around like so many curses.

Growing tired of the chaos in the platform, she allows the aura to return, instantly causing anyone near her to gasp and back away.

"ENOUGH."

The word rings out, touched by an accent long forgotten by the rest of civilization.

"Much better. Now, whoever called us here. Explanation. Now."

[Strainseir]

How long Ryder had been in this place, he did not know. His world was gone. His people and his Maiden had been taken from him. Rage seethed in him, and yet he was even denied a target for that rage. The fate he was to deliver to those that have harmed his people has been changed. When word calm to him about the gathering, Ryder took to the skies as a ball of golden fire and fits. At the gathering Ryder crashed into the ground with enough force to smash a small crater into the street. Eyes glowing with golden rage he called out shouting in fury,"WHO HAS SUMMONED ME HERE!?"

[Thump]

Startled by the impact, Riruka takes to the side of a building, staring down this golden monster of a human.

"Well, aren't you a pretty one?"

She then floats down nearby towards him.

"Ryder... my, my, have you grown. How old are you at this point? I'd thought you dead last time I saw you.""

Speaking of which...

""Oi. Someone. What year is it?"

She notices the lack of a certain red-haired girl next to him, and is now incredibly amused.

"Aww... where'd little Red go? I'd figure she'd always stay by your side..."

She has a mischievous grin on her face, evidently trying to coax him into an even larger rage than he probably already is in.

[Strainseir]

This strange woman thing was obviously trying to goad him. However it was working... This thing knew him. She knew too much about him indeed. His teeth pulled back in a snarl showing his pointed teeth that seemed almost like those of a gorillon. His muscles shuddered a bit as he fought his own will to fight. The shackles of starmetal on his wrists jingled lightly at the movement, but he kept himself,"I know not what you are creature, but I do not know you either. Do not test me now. Either you are the one that asked us to be here or you simply waste my time."

[meemaas]

Meemaas

Meemaas stepped up behind Ryder, his voice calm and even. "No, Riruka would not have been the one to call us together. Please calm down. Violence and destruction will do nothing but kill potential allies. I am sure, based on your show of anger, that it is wiser to avoid killing those who might be able to help you find those responsible." The purple haired elf turned towards Riruka, and smiled a little. "It is the year XXXX, how long have you been asleep now?" He speaks casually, trying to make small talk while he waits to hear from the person who had brought them together.

[Strainseir]

The glow in his eyes fade at the calm words of the other. The main right hand, the one with the shackle, raises up to press against his forehead with a light grunt light sigh,"...I don't Do not know how long I have been here. I do not even know the year it was when I was home. I am not entirely sure where this place is."

[meemaas]

Meemaas

He turned back to Ryden. "We're in the city of Union. I wonder, where have you been, if you did not know where you were?" He shakes his head, and stared up into the sky. "Who are you anyways? I'm Meemaas, last of the Watcher order."

[Strainseir]

"I stepped into a place outside reality... I think. A doorway opened to send me home. I stepped through it... When the pain ended I woke up here in a bed. Then someone said that I should come here. No one that was near me seemed to remember how long I had been there..." Ryder said as he cracked the knuckles on all six of his heavy hands," They say the world is destroyed. What can destroy a world?"

[Doc_Pippin]

With a small breeze and a tuff of loose sand is thrown into the air. It gentle swirls about before growing. Within moments the sand had become fairly noticeable. When enough sand had been added it seemed to form into the crude shape of a man. More sand seemed to be drawn from all nooks, cracks, and crevices to fill in the finer details until alas after thirty seconds stands a cloaked figure wearing a wide brim that hides his face from view. Sand rolls gently off his clothing, but what attracts the most attention is the sudden increase in heat. It is as if the desert itself had followed him to this place.

"Who would ask me here?" he utters calmly with a voice that while quiet held an air of clout, it was as if he were not a person but indeed the desert itself, almost silent yet terrifying to behold in its emptiness.

[Peccavi]

"Ah, Union, you never cease to amaze!" Cheswick said quietly, more to hmself than anyone in particular, as he watched the four 'person' spectacle near the platform. A calm purple-haired elf, a being apparently composed of sand, an angry six armed creature, and a someone he thought was just a sacry tale of childhood.

The halfling wiped away a tear that had rolled down his face. There seemed to be no end to these annoying salty discharges since learning the fate of his world. So many people just gone, it didn't do to think about it.

He took a deep steadying breath, tried to straighten his clothes a little, and put a happier expression on his face. He pushed his way through the crowd to the obviously powerful, or at least far less panicked foursome.

Waving his hand high above his head. "Hi there tall folk! I'm Cheswick, really looking forward to finding out whats going on, and who's responsible." He said, fairly cheerily.

His big bushy eyebrows furrowed as he swept his arm around the gathered crowd. "Do you really think this is all thats left of us?" he added more sombrely.

[Thump]

Riruka raises an eyebrow at Meemaas's explanation, and shakes her head.

"Well... that would be about two thousand years now... I'm surprised. I was not asleep, but imprisoned. If this really is all that is left of us..."

Another thought occurs to her, and she turns to Ryder.

"Wait, how are you even alive? I witnessed your death... unless..."

She then realizes just how long it had been since the original Ryder had died.

"Of course... you are not the original."

She turns to the others, looking them over.

"Kaballa, Lord of the Fire Sands, a cheery halfling... I've always liked halflings."

She then turns to Meemaas with a smirk.

"Ever the polite one, aren't you? I always have been entertained by your antics."

Rambling ends up ensuing from the unusually tall nymph, and it seems that she is talking to herself, or something else.

[distant quasar]

Shadows shift and coalesce, taking on a substance and form of their own... a darkness that is more than a simple absence of light. Gradually the darkness takes a form, the shape of tall man - if he can still be called a man - in a cloak blacker than the dead of night. Nothing is visible of him beneath it, but around him is a palpable aura of malevolence, and cold. Frigid cold, like the dead of winter... but suddenly that is gone, leaving only a thin layer of frost on the ground as a reminder.

He - it - speaks in a voice of the coldest winter night. "I would not use the term 'us', halfing." A slight pause. "But it seems a reasonable assumption that there are no other survivors. The important question for now is that which the others have already asked - why have we been asked here?"

Note: None of you will know of Tyranus at all, not in legend, rumour, or anything. See the Godblooded (Vecna) template in MM 5 for details on that :smallcool:

[Proud Tortoise]

A tall man dressed in expensive-looking furs has stepped up onto the podium. He waves his hands, casting a spell, and then holds his hands out in front of him. A blast of sound issues from his mouth.

The chatter of the crowd stops. The man begins to speak in a magically-amplified voice.

Thank you for attending this assembly. As you have likely heard, our homeland- Reib- has been destroyed." He swallows hard. "While rumors have been spreading wildly, I will recount what we do know for certain."

As he speaks, a short man dressed in black has approached each of you and handed you a sealed envelope.

Sorry for the incomplete post; I'll finish tomorrow morning I suppose.

[Proud Tortoise]

"My name is Dorhaven Samakh, and I am... I was the Reibian ambassador to the League of Independent Worlds."

Opening the envelope, you find an invitation to accompany Samakh to a nearby tavern's back room after he has finished his speech.

"Thirteen days ago, all communication with Reibspace ceased. No one could contact or view anything inside the sphere. Only an hour later, the sphere became visible again. However, all it contained was dust. Everything inside the sphere had been destroyed. There were no witnesses, so we have no clue as to what could have happened. We will, however, send a trained team of investigators to search the area for clues."

"We will spread the word when we have further information. Until then... godspeed." He steps off the platform and walks away.

[Thump]

"What could destroy a world in an hour? I mean, I could wipe out armies in a matter of minutes... but an entire world? Rock, mountains, ocean and all?"

Riruka looks distraught by this, if only due to the fact that it means something would be trying to end existence. She likes existence; it provides fun; said term being extremely dependent on one's definition. For her, it was being able to do whatever the hell she wanted, with nobody to stop her. Ryder had been a challenge to fight, said thousands of years ago, and she almost died without landing a scratch on him. She did watch him die though, which was some small satisfaction.

So the question is... how is this new one still alive? She will find out, after she finds and terminates this world-killing... whatever.

With a red aura enveloping her, she disappears once again, reappearing in the inn, with her sword-arm transformed into a regular right arm. She draws from a pouch a small lute, and begins to strum a light tune while waiting for the others.

Rolling a perform (strings) check for the hell of it.
[roll0]

[Strainseir]

Ryder cannot help but snarl again as the female creature stares at him like seeing a ghost. There is a slight recognition of her, but it is like a passing thought. That thought was burned away a the thought of his world gone. Something had taken his people and his love. Ryder had to force himself not to barrel through the puny tone wall of the tavern this meeting would be in. Why did small men always have to move these meetings? Why could he not simply have said is piece then and there? Practically ripping the hinges off the wall, Ryder entered the tavern,"Where is Samahk?"

[Thump]

The woman turns to Ryder, giving another smirk.

"Evidently not here, eblan. Why not sit down, relax... maybe put the door back from where you just ripped it off?"

She says this all in a sardonic tone, and resumes playing.

[meemaas]

Meemaas

Meemaas strides into the tavern, a noticeable habit of his walking being that he periodically flickers forward without missing a beat. As he enters, he gets himself a drink, dropping a few coins on the bar to pay for it, and strides over towards Riruka and Ryder afterwards in the back room, leaning against the wall as he waited. "I have the eeriest feeling. Something capable of destroying our home. I think it is the precursor to things far more damning than just one world. What do you think?" He addressed his question more towards Riruka than Ryder, knowing that he is more likely to get a civilized, not angry, response from them. "And why is it that we were given to survive? I know there is a great deal of powerful beings out there. But why would the one responsible destroy our world while some of the greatest forces to come out of it weren't present. Food for thought, at least mine."

[Thump]

"Not just a world, Watcher. These sorts of things never limit themselves to one world... or at least, I'd assume."

Riruka sighs, and puts her instrument away, waving over a barkeep. for a wine.
She then regards Meemaas again with a strange look, and lifts her right arm, where the upper, blackened half ends in the sheen of a perfectly maroon arm, almost like a glove.

"Fate has a factor of randomness in it. I believe it was by chance, to be honest with you. How do you think I got this? How do you think we have all survived to this point? We, as some of the most powerful beings from Reib... no, from the Material Plane... it was luck that carried us this far."

She allows a small laugh to escape her, and starts shifting the arm back and forth between sword and regular form, with no rhyme or reason behind it.

"Not like I don't enjoy it, though. Having all this power... this freedom. Do you know what it is like, being imprisoned for two thousand years out of thirteen thousand? I have outlived empires, gods, and many other now nameless beings, including Ryder the First, as I should now call him. By luck, by skill, by wit... by whatever means necessary... I challenged Orcus for his throne once, did you know that? Almost killed him, too... but I got banished here, and immediately thrown in prison."

The blade arm now rests in its regular form, tracing lazy circles into the ground around it with its edge.

"A lot changes in two thousand years. I can say that I have probably forgotten more than many of the most ancient wizards have ever learned...

[Doc_Pippin]

Without a sound Kaballa begins to crumble into sand. A gentle breeze whisks the remnants away, and after a short time he re-materializes with in the inn. As he arrives he hears Riruka going on about his exploits. Though he had never personally had an issue with her, they had never been close. They both possessed great force of personality, but when two such forces are in close proximity for any extended period of time their ideals often tend to clash. In this case it was simply the manner in which she boasted of her power, it was unsettling to him. He had always been taught that to boast was to allow your enemies the kindness of planning. This was a minor thing though and he had no mind to make anything of it.

After taking his place in a corner, Kaballa peers out from underneath his long brim hat. His unnatural eyes peering out unblinking and hauntingly hollow. "I for one, do not believe in luck," he says in a calm yet dry voice.

[Proud Tortoise]

The small man who handed you the envelopes enters the tavern. "If you all could follow me to the back, please?" He takes you to the back room of the tavern, which contains a round, wooden table and a large hearth. At the table sits the (former) Reibian ambassador Samakh.

"Greetings to you all. Please, take a seat."

[Peccavi]

As the group moves into the back room Cheswick finds a seat. He stands on it rather than sits, so he can still be seen above the table. "And greetings to you Samakh, I'm sure you probably know of us all, but I don't believe we've acually met. I'm Cheswick." He says with a mostly sincere smile.

His voice takes on a more serious tone. "Social niceties aside, what's going on? How can we help? And what more do you know that you didn't say outside?"

[Strainseir]

"IF you are speaking of The original Ryder, I am his descendant." the angry six armed man said as he pointed to the orb in his chest,"This is the last piece of him." he said with a chuckle,"I killed those that killed him."

When the man came in, Ryder followed him but he refused to sit.

[Proud Tortoise]

Samakh is slightly less calm than he was outside, possible due to several of your presences. "Well, erm, as I mentioned in my, speech, we are prepared to investigate the situation further. You are to be the investigation team. We are going to send you to the crystal sphere to search for any kind of clue as to what actually happened."

[Thump]

"Can the fleshbags even breathe there?"

She looks distinctly amused at this, though then comes to another thought.

"What's in it for me?"

[Proud Tortoise]

"Of course you'll be able to breathe, with an appropriately-equipped spelljammer. As for your motivation? Well, firstly, you'll be able to help us find the bastards that did this. I'd think that would be enough motivation, but you'll also be paid three hundred thousand gold pieces for the retrieval of the information we are looking for."

[Doc_Pippin]

Sand twirls effortlessly between Kaballa's fingers as they talk. It would appear that he were controlling it but in truth it had a mind all its own. "Well let us hope the mission is more interesting then it sounds," he says in an uncaring raspy voice. "When do we leave?"

[Strainseir]

The primary set of Ryder's arms fold over his strong chest. A light grunt leaves his lips when the strange woman speaks. This world is filled with so many powerful selfish beings that cheat fate and death,"Can we leave immediately?"

[Thump]

"Is something the matter? We will need to prepare, you know. Or does the Core drive your rage so much that you must always be doing something?"

She gives a knowing laugh, and she gives another mischievous grin.

"If you really wanted to do something, there should be a sparring arena somewhere in the city, find some unlucky men who would try their luck..."

[Peccavi]

Cheswick frowns slightly, sure that the banter between Riruka and Ryder will come to blows eventually. Not something I'd like to be in the middle of... he thinks.

"Well," He says clearing his throat slightly, "I think it would be best for everyone if we get underway as soon as we can. Trail's growing cold and all that kind of stuff." He jumps down off his chair and heads toward the door.

"We'd best get about making our preperations." He says as he walks out, popping back in almost immediately. "Wait, what preperations do we need to make?" His eyebrows cocked quizically. "I've not been on a spelljammer before"

[Thump]

The nymph stands up, brushing off her tunic before sitting down again, and realizes something.

"What in the name of Reib is a spelljammer?"

[meemaas]

Meemaas

He thinks quietly for a moment. He hasn't said anything, and in the end just nods in agreement, lost in his thoughts.

[distant quasar]

Tyranus has been silent until now, simply following the others, and nodding almost imperceptibly when the "mission" was put forward to signify that he would be helping. Now Riruka feels that the attention of whatever being lies hidden beneath the dark cloak has shifted to her.

"A ship for traveling the area between worlds, as opposed to the oceans or the skies."

[Proud Tortoise]

Sorry, I thought I posted here a couple days ago but my browser was acting funny.

"Er, a spelljammer (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/TabletopGame/Spelljammer?from=Main.Spelljammer)? You know... What he said." He hesitates. "You can leave as soon as you're ready, but... There is something else you should know.

"Just before the planet was destroyed, we received a sending. From a friend of mine, in fact. Neile Hamas, a banker. He had been carrying a load of platinum from Reib at the time, and if anything in that sphere survived, it would have been his ship. It was surrounded by enough protective spells and shields to protect the moon. Even so, it may not have survived... You may need to search elsewhere for a clue."

[meemaas]

Meemaas

"How long would it take to get from here to there? There's a good deal of divination we could do to try and get an idea of what happened."

[Proud Tortoise]

He sighs. "You're welcome to try, of course, but our top seers haven't been able to discern anything about it."

[meemaas]

Meemaas

"There's nothing to be lost from trying while we're there. Since i assume we are going to be the first group you will have sent there, there's no harm in trying everything we can, right?"

[Proud Tortoise]

"Er... Yes, well the thing is... You aren't exactly the first group we've sent... There were a couple preliminary investigation teams who, aha, disappeared without a trace. But! But they were nowhere near as famous and experienced as you lot! That part is important!"

[meemaas]

Meemaas

"Well, if we disappear, then i'm sure we'll be able to jettison angry guy..." He chuckled a little. "I mean Ryder, to come for help. There's nothing in the world that could surprise all of us, after all."

[Doc_Pippin]

"No need to fear then, I disappear all the time." His voice displays a tone of distraction and disinterest. Sand gently began to sift out from his large bag, it slowly began to gather loosely in his hands as he spoke, "Let us be off, quickly before what little we might find is lost entirely."

[Proud Tortoise]

Looking relieved, Samakh concludes, "Well, then, we have arranged for a spelljammer on the world of Gerib, about a day from Reib. A portal to their docking facilities has been arranged. It is through that door in the back. Just say 'Reib' prior to entering the door."

[Strainseir]

Ryder stays silent due to the comments about his rage. True it is a deciding factor of his being, but he is indeed deeper then that. Now however is not the time. Every second that passes is time he has not found Allicia or his people. Quickly he heads to the backdoor and speaks the word,"Reib" before stepping though.

[Doc_Pippin]

Kaballa allows the sand to remain in his hand, were it seems to move on its own, almost in a playful manner. Kaballa pays no attention to the phenomenon as he walks into the designated door. He pauses momentarily and utters "Reib" in a calm and quiet tone before he steps through.

[Peccavi]

"Alright then, I suppose we're off." Cheswick says in a fairly calm manner. He stared at the magical portal for a moment, as if summoning the courage. "Reib?" he says to it quietly, before holding his breath and stepping through.

[Thump]

"I guess we are. To Reib."

She then steps through the portal, readying herself for whatever may come.

[Proud Tortoise]

Stepping through the portal, you arrive in the spacious concourse of a space station. A halfling waiting by the portal asks your names.

[meemaas]

Meemaas

Meemaas, lost in his thoughts, follows behind them, following the same orders as the rest of his group, being the last one to go through. When they arrive, he is again, the last to show up, but is quickly able to regain his bearings and respond. "Meemaas the Watcher. The last Watcher, i guess."

[Proud Tortoise]

Ah, you are the ones who will investigate Reibspace?" he says, standing at attention. "Blessings be unto you. Your ship is that way, at Strut D24."

[meemaas]

Meemaas

Meemaas started out in the direction he was directed to, his image flickering forward at random intervals as he closes the distance.

[Peccavi]

"And blessings to you cousin!" Cheswick cries in halfling as he wraps the other little man in a hug, eyes moist with joyful tears. "You're the first of the folk I've seen since the calamity."

Cheswick disentwines himself from the other halfling, and his shoulders slump as he regards him. "But, you're not from Reib are you?" he asks sullenly.

[Strainseir]

Ryder decides not to respond to the halfling. Instead he just grunts a little eyeing the creature before following Meemas. He did not trust this place. Thin metal walls were all they protected the people in here. If he stepped to hard hsi foot might go through the floor here.

[distant quasar]

Tyranus glides through the portal, coming out just before Meemaas. He wordlessly proceeds to the indicated strut.

[Thump]

"Well... this is certainly new. When were these made?"

After receiving an answer, she sprints up towards the others, and almost collides with a wall, not being used to moving so freely.

"Thirteen thousand years... nothing was like this before. And I really need to watch where I step."

[Doc_Pippin]

Kaballa walks wordlessly in the direction the halfling had indicated the sand still dancing in his hand. His thoughts turn to possible sources of the destruction, but nothing he had heard of could possibly come close. He shuttered to think what might happen should they be forced to combat whatever it was.


Is it Wooly Rupert!!!! 100,000,000,000,000 cool points if we have to battle the Tyrannohamstersaurus of Ill Omen

[Proud Tortoise]

The docking strut juts upward into the open air. Perched on the end is an insect-shaped spelljammer, painted green and blue.

A short, balding man approaches you. "You the investigation team? Good. Here's the thing: I need a deposit of 3000 gold on the ship. If it's damaged or somethin', you won't be the ones payin' for it... And if you all die 'orribly, you won't be needin' the money, will you?"

[Thump]

"... I don't carry money on me. Union confiscated any money I had... two thousand years ago."

She looks at the others, and gives a shrug.

"Is it per person, or just as a whole?"

[Proud Tortoise]

"Do you see one ship per person? As a whole, berk."

[Strainseir]

Ryder growled lowly at the mention of money. Then he remembered that his love made him carry a pouch that had some astral rubies in it. He pulled out what he is pretty sure three thousand worth and hands it to the little person before him."Here. Take your blood money. We are trying to save a whole world, but I guess all the matters to people like you is money even a pitiful sum like this. Take it and be gone."

[meemaas]

Meemaas

Meemaas places his hand on Ryder's shoulder while he talks. "Relax, don't let it bother you. Lets just get on and on our merry way." As he finishes, he gets on, and looks for a seat to set down in while the others follow.

Getting on of course is dependent on the attendant letting us on.

[Proud Tortoise]

The attendant scowls. "Well, best luck to ye a and rather you than me, that's what I say." He ambles off to annoy someone else, leaving you to enter the ship.

[Peccavi]

Cheswick returns the attendants scowl for a moment, before turning his attention to the ship. "A Spelljammer..." he says to himself in quiet amazment as he makes his way on board, "truly incredible."
He puts his hands in his pockets and does his best to resist the temptaion to touch everything

[Thump]

"And good riddance to him, too."

She stares at the ship, with a wondering smile on her face.

"I want one of these. I know what I'm going to buy when we get back... there's so much left to see in the multiverse."

She dashes in, and is immediately shushed mid-sentence, looking at everything around her.

"Reanna would have loved to see this."

[distant quasar]

The dark figure seems rather unimpressed with the spelljammer, although he says nothing. You gather, however, that it is not his first time on one.

[Proud Tortoise]

Inside the slightly cramped helm chamber is a navigational chart showing how to get to Reib from here, as well as a diagram showing how to operate the ship. It is fueled by spell power; a spellcaster makes an attachment to the helm, thereby transferring his power to it. While she is bonded with the ship, she cannot cast spells, although she can conduct other activity normally. With one move action, she can control the ship for one round. The higher-level spells she has available, the faster the ship can move; arcane spells are slightly more efficient than divine spells.

[Thump]

"Grr... I should have... oh well."

She turns to the others, pulls up a chair, and sits down. Leaning backwards, she taps on the display a few times to figure out how it works.

"I can keep this going for awhile, though my knowledge of spells is not that complex. Would anyone more well-versed than I like to take this up?"

[meemaas]

Meemaas

"I'll handle that part. My study with the Watchers has led me to master almost all forms of magic there are." He takes a seat in front of the control screen, and takes a few moments to focus on it to get a proper bond with it. Once he has it connected, he'll turn to smile at the rest, and nod softly. "Tell me when you're all ready, and i'll take us out."

[Peccavi]

Almost shaking with excitement, Cheswick snaps his fingers and an illusionary tricorne hat appears on his head (which looks ridiculous). He gives Meemaas a salute, and in his best pirate voice, "Aye aye Captain! Ready when you are! Let me know if you need me to batten down the, umm, hatches?"

[Doc_Pippin]

"A little insurance," Kaballa mutters as he empties a bag of sand just outside the door. The sand pours out for a few feet before crawling up the sides of the ship. The bag continues to pour sand even after it seems like it would have normally ran out.

As the sand covers the ship it forms like a second skin, it then begins to harden into a layer of unnaturally hard armor. When the ship is fully armored in Kaballa's sands he returns the bag to its normal place. Finally he reaches into another bag and pulls out several indepenant globs of sand one noticable bigger than the others. With a flick of his wrist the smaller five expand into masses of sentient sand that crawl along the ship before hugging tight to it. A sort of surprise in case of emergencies. The glob that had originally been much larger did not grow instead Kaballa whispers to it, of which only Al' Batha Ra is said loud enough for anyone else to hear. Then that glob secures to the ship.

It is not until after this that Kaballa enters the ship.



200 doses of shapesand that is compacted into the hardest armor possible ((Leaving that up to the DM)) then awakened sands will hind on top of this to act as pseudo-weapons.

[meemaas]

Meemaas

Once everyone is on the ship and ready, Meemaas starts at the controls, bringing the ship carefully out of the space station, and, using the map for guidance, directs the ship to where they are supposed to go.

[Proud Tortoise]

In a day, the spelljammer has arrived at the crystal sphere of Reibspace. The black shell extends in four directions as far as the eye can see. The ship can enter at your will.

[Strainseir]

Ryder stands on the outside of the boat staring into the abyss before him. A sense of loss and rage bubbles inside of him, yet quietly he waited acting ready. Anything that came this way would meet his fists. Someone would pay for all this needless death. The world was destined to end eventually, but this was not what it's fate should have been. Not yet.

[Thump]

"You're right, you know."

The nymph strolls her way near Ryder, and sits down, looking into the vast, empty space before her.

"Nothing is supposed to end like this. And you are indeed right that whatever caused this will pay. Contrary to what you may believe, I do have a soul...", she gestures to her heart...

"...and while I take no shame in what I am today, and may I even say I enjoy what I am now compared to if I had lived a simple life, the destruction of a planet..."

She trails off at this point, continuing to stare into the void, letting her hand drop. She draws her lute from her bag, and begins to play, allowing herself to simply 'zone out', thinking to herself for the first time of the day.

I'm free. Why was I called here? Why was Reib destroyed? What has changed? So many questions...

"...and I want answers."

[Proud Tortoise]

As the ship flies through the crystal shell, you are met by a sudden wave of dust. It stings exposed skin and blocks vision as the spelljammer travels forward.

[meemaas]

Meemaas

Meemaas tries to ignore the feeling as he pulls forward into it further, trying to bring them in closer to the center of the apparent dust storm.

[Proud Tortoise]

After many minutes of travel, you arrive at what might be the center of the sphere. All the dust seems to spin around this point.

In the center of the maelstrom, perhaps drawn here by whatever force causes the dust to spin in this pattern, floats a large spelljammer. Shaped like a normal, sea-going ship, the area for several hundred yards around it is clear of dust. The ship looks undamaged.

[Strainseir]

"As all things must end, all things have souls in won way or another. If you continue on the path you are now, and your power continues to grow, you will be no different than the whatever is responsible for what caused this. Destruction for destruction's sake. That is what you have grown to embrace. Anger should be channeled for a purpose not released like a crazed animal." Ryder said in a strangely calm monotone. The horror before him had pushed his rage so far that he had actually returned to complete clarity.

Ryder then attempts to float up not even sure if flight is capable in this place. If it is he will fly forward in an attempt to actually land on the spelljammer.

[Proud Tortoise]

Who are you talking to? :smallbiggrin:

Ryder is able to fly to the spelljammer and land on the deck.

[Thump]

Riruka starts to respond, with a slightly irritated look on her face, until Ryder flies off towards the other spelljammer.

"Gottverdammt..."

She takes off, with her wings pushing her sharply towards the mysteriously abandoned ship. She lands next to the many-armed avatar, and takes a look around the vessel.

"If this thing isn't a trap, I'm keeping this."

[Proud Tortoise]

It's quite a large ship, with a large forecastle and a solid-looking sterncastle two stories high. The deck is inscribed with runes- you recognize them as being runes of warding and protection- and there are large doors leading into the front and back of the ship.

[meemaas]

Meemaas

Pulling the ship up to the other, he releases his connection to it to step off and look at the ship. Thinking for a second, a large tome appears in his hand, and he flips through it. Stopping on the right page, he turns to the others. "Do any of you have a problem with taking some time to cast a spell? I have one that should be able to show me the past." As he speaks, he is pulling out a diamond that appears to be shaped like an hourglass and holding it with his free hand. But it'll take me an hour to finish the incantation, and see what we may be looking for. While i cast, i will, of course, be defenseless."

If there are no general rejections to the idea, i will spontaneously convert one of my ninth level slots into the Hindsight spell, in an attempt to divine back a period of days to find out what happened. Namely, i'm looking for information about the previous group on the ship, and the planet, since i assume that the planet wasn't destroyed more than a month previously.

[distant quasar]

Tyranus looks towards Meemaas. "If you wish to do so, you will hear no objections from me," he says, "Perhaps our mutual acquaintance will cocoon you in sand while you cast."
You detect no hint of jest in his tone.

Turning away from Meemass, he flies out to the other ship.

Perception [roll0]

ummm.... let's see.
Darkvision 90ft; True Seeing; Arcane Sight; Detect Secret Doors; Detect Thoughts; See Alignment for all four. That all I think might detect anything now.

Anything?

[Proud Tortoise]

Meemaas begins casting then? Does anyone want to do something while he's working?

[Doc_Pippin]

Kaballa sneers lightly at the hint to encase the other in sand but decides against a comment or arguement and instead he casts out the sand which creates a near perfect bubble. Only three small holes remain on it's smooth surface. Kaballa then seats himself against the shell to keep a watchful eye on the helpless caster.

[Peccavi]

Cheswick casts a few quick spells on himself, and takes up a position somewhere in between where Meemaas and Kaballa are and where the other three have gone to the new ship. In an attempt to remain within earshot of both groups so he can run to the aid of whoever needs him most.
Casting persisted; Accelerated Movement, Hunters Eye and Wraithstrike. Should have done this at the beginning of the day, but hey better late than never...

[distant quasar]

Can I tell anything about the ship with my roll?

[Proud Tortoise]

The runes around the perimeter radiate strong abjuration magic.

Meemaas begins to cast his spell.

He casts it, and casts it, and casts it some more. He casts it to access forbidden lore. An hour he casts, and when it is cast, he learns of events that occurred in the past.

This area has been the center of Reib's sun for as far back as you can recall. The memories of burning cease abruptly at a point 13 days ago. You cannot discern anything between that point and a time six days ago, and at that point this ship was here already. You do note, however, that 20 or 30 feet, almost directly below you, is a corpse.

[Thump]

During the time of Meemaas's casting, Riruka starts to pace around, wondering what sorts of decorations would go nice with it... maybe the head of Orcus, if she ever got around to breaking the curse that prevented her from entering his layer... or the entrails of a thousand demons? She'd have to wait, since she has more important things to do. She taps Ryder on the shoulder, and gestures to the back of the ship.

"Care to explore a bit, or do you want to split for a bit?"

[meemaas]

Meemaas

"Interesting...Could you get this sand off me so i can check something?" Meemaas speaks to himself, then lifts off the ground, he'd use his flight to circle around to the corpse, and pull it back up on top of their spelljammer. Looking at it curiously, he calls out. "I need someone who is adept at reading lies here with me, if you would." Irregardless of whether or not someone joins him, he begins a new incantation, hoping to bring life to the corpse in order to learn what it knew.

Ten minute cast time. Expending a third level spell slot spontaneously to cast speak with dead.

[Proud Tortoise]

Well, shall I assume you have gone to where the corpse lies, belowdecks?

[meemaas]

I did, but i brought it up to the top deck

[Peccavi]

"I'm fairly adept at reading people, Meemaas." Cheswick calls as he trots back over. "Although there may be others who can assist magically in that regard too."

He looks over the corpse, attempting to gain some basic idea of what befell him. He shruggs, gives the corpse a small poke, and shakes his head. "Poor fella."

Assuming the corpse is male

[Strainseir]

Ryder does not even attempt to suppress his grin. Exploring this ship was not the best of ideas, yet it still did seem like it would be enjoyable. Nodding his head he looked to Riruka,"Exploration is a good idea."

[Thump]

"Right, then. Keep your eyes and ears open, be ready for anything."

She opens the doors to the back of the ship; if they refuse to open, she simply breaks one of the doors in half, and waves Ryder in.

If for some reason I need to try breaking the doors, here's my check.
[roll0] for the Strength check to break the door with sudden force.

[Proud Tortoise]

Beyond the door is a narrow hallway. Two doors lie on each side, and a steep staircase descends at the end.

[Strainseir]

Ryder heads in and decides to pick the door to the right and turns the knob to open it ripping it off the wall if needs be,"You check the other door."

[Thump]

"Understood."

Riruka opens the door, doing her usual routine of checking if it will open on its own, and bashing it in if it won't.

Strength check: [roll0]

[distant quasar]

Tyranus stays above deck, observing the "surroundings" while Ryder and Riruka tear up the ship.

[Proud Tortoise]

Inside each door is a bedroom. Each is empty except for the first door on the left, which has clearly been lived in, having some clothes sticking out of the drawers and rumpled bedclothes. Strangely, a pair of shoes stands in front of the door, as if the owner was walking out, then disappeared suddenly.

[meemaas]

Game seems to be going nowhere, so i might as well see if i can jolt it back to life.

Meemaas

While the others focused on searching the ship, Meemaas laid the corpse out on the deck and cast his Speak with Dead spell on it. Once the spell was completed, he'd ask his first question. "Well, fresh corpse, how, praytell, did you die out here?"

I get a total of 13 questions, should i choose to use them, but i figured i'd base my future questions off the answers to my current ones.

[Proud Tortoise]

The corpse's tongue slides over its lips with a sound like rustling paper. "Burnt." This is apparent from the state of the body: its flesh is blackened and its clothing burnt.

[meemaas]

Meemaas

"What being or force did that to you? After that response, he puts out his next question. "Where is the rest of the crew from this ship?"

[Proud Tortoise]

"Fire, living fire thing."

"Off ship."

[meemaas]

Meemaas

He swears to himself for a second, and then starts asking again. "What is your name and the name of every other member of this ship that departed with you when you originally arrived to this location?"

9 More questions to go.

[Proud Tortoise]

"My name was Neile Hamas. My crew..." He goes on to list about twenty other names.

[distant quasar]

Just in case you all are wondering, I'm still here. Waiting for the Speak Dead questions, I suppose.

[meemaas]

Meemaas

"What information did you discover before your death about the disappearance of planet Reib? After that, he puts out a second question. "How many of your crew died to that living fire thing that killed you?"

[Thump]

"Hrm... interesting. RYDER! Come take a look at this. It's like someone just vanished while walking out of the room."

Riruka examines the shoes, looking for anything unusual.

[Proud Tortoise]

The shoes have a thin layer of ash on the inside, but are undamaged.

"We saw Reib die. The fire killed the entire crew after the planet was destroyed."

[meemaas]

Meemaas

"You saw...it die? What, exactly did the creature that destroyed it look like? Can you give me a detailed description?"

Assuming he does, here's a knowledge (Whatever is appropriate) check to see if i can identify it from a description [roll0], all my knowledge skills are at the same modifier.

[Proud Tortoise]

"There was no creature."

[Thump]

"Flash-fried. There's ash in these shoes. Whoever was on the ship was killed by... an exploding star? That's the first thing that comes to mind... what do you think, Ryder?"

[meemaas]

Meemaas

"You said it was living fire. Describe what shape it took, or if not that, how it manifested"

6 more questions.

[Proud Tortoise]

"Four legs. Teeth. Large. Didn't see much.

[distant quasar]

What did the destruction of the planet look like?