Outside 48: Hotter than Inside

[Morty]

[Dismal Swamp]

Amalungak blinks in surprise, but the King in Rags... chuckles. It sounds like some old rocks rolling down into a dry well, really.

"Were it always so easy. But I will need those willing and ready to aid me if I am to reclaim what's mine. If you will pledge yourself to the service of the King in Rags and the Fairest of Lands that were, you will not find me ungrateful."

[Earl of Purple]

The Woods Near Edelina's Farm

Rigu's nose will pick up... Nothing, except maybe the faintest scent of old, potent magic. Oh, and granite, if wolves can smell stones.

The path leads quite far into the forest, though there's plenty of room along it; whatever last passed this way has made a significant mess, forcing its way through trees, bushes, and has even shoved a small boulder out the way. Eventually, it leaves the trail it was following, turning off the deer-path and making its own, ploughing through the underbrush and not caring what gets in the way- snapping saplings, shattering a fence and, at one point, walking straight through a small pond.

Eventually, the gargoyle's trail leads to a large clearing, apparently empty... Until they enter it, at which point suddenly a five-storey tower made of polished mylonite, the grey-and-white bands serving to disguise where the blocks of stone meet. The tower is square, with a round turret in the north-west corner and a bartisan marking the tower's other three corners, with a pyramid making up the rest of the roof, though it opens into a small domed observation platform, with an old and weathered brass telescope pointing at the sky. There's no windows on the lowest two floors, and from there they exist only as randomly-placed arrow slits. The tower's door is up three steps, a large door with verdigrised bronze plates nailed to it. Standing before the tower is the gargoyle, a moss-covered red granite statue. It has a pair of large, pterodactyl-like wings with a little hand halfway down, with a humanoid torso and thick legs, muscular arms ending in four-fingered hands. It's slouched over, but still stand easily four metres tall and at least half that wide, plus the wings.

[Deathkeeper]

The Woods near Edelina’s Farm

Kray looks at the tower impassively. Wizards. It’s always Wizards. No one else makes towers like this.
”Well, it seems we’ve found our oddity. Should we go up the front and question the sentry?” she asks. They’re not really equipped to enter any other way. And it’s unlikely but not impossible that they could simply ask and get a straight answer.

[Fendrick]

'Well, there's the gargoyle. But where's my sister? Uh, do we just go up to that big ole gargoyle and ask for her back or....?'

Edelina's voice trails off, as she is unsure what to do for a minute.

She then gulps, makes up her mind, before heading straight for the gargoyle with determination in her stride.

(If they think she is unwise, it is not too late to stop Edelina from approaching the gargoyle so directly).

[Morty]

[The Woods near Edelina’s Farm]

Dipsnig dismounts from Rigu and removes something made of wood and metal from the saddle. It unfolds into a heavy crossbow covered in arcane sigils and markings.

"We've got your back if things go sour. It'd likely notice any other attempts at entering, anyway."

[Deathkeeper]

[The Woods near Edelina’s Farm]

Kray starts after the girl immediately, sticking close behind her.
”I’m going with you, don’t worry.” She wishes she were her full size right now. She would be more imposing, behind the smaller girl.

[Earl of Purple]

Woods Near Edelina's Farm

The gargoyle bends its head down to look at Edelina and Kray as they approach, ignoring Dipsnig and his wolf as they hang back a little. It doesn't say anything, not yet at least, just staring at Edelina. Despite being made of solid stone, it moved as easily as it would have were it flesh, with no grinding or rumbling sound.

[Fendrick]

[The Woods near Edelina’s Farm]

Dipsnig dismounts from Rigu and removes something made of wood and metal from the saddle. It unfolds into a heavy crossbow covered in arcane sigils and markings.

"We've got your back if things go sour. It'd likely notice any other attempts at entering, anyway."

[The Woods near Edelina’s Farm]

Kray starts after the girl immediately, sticking close behind her.
”I’m going with you, don’t worry.” She wishes she were her full size right now. She would be more imposing, behind the smaller girl.

Woods Near Edelina's Farm

The gargoyle bends its head down to look at Edelina and Kray as they approach, ignoring Dipsnig and his wolf as they hang back a little. It doesn't say anything, not yet at least, just staring at Edelina. Despite being made of solid stone, it moved as easily as it would have were it flesh, with no grinding or rumbling sound.

Edelina nearly falters in her resolve, aware of the ease with which the gargoyle moves. She stays just far enough away that there is some benefit in her nocking an arrow on her bow, which she has removed from her shoulder. She points the arrow squarely at the gargoyle's nose, and demands from it:

Where is my sister, Matilda? What have you done with her? I demand you set her free right away!'

[CosmicHobbit]

[Dismal Swamp]

Amalungak blinks in surprise, but the King in Rags... chuckles. It sounds like some old rocks rolling down into a dry well, really.

"Were it always so easy. But I will need those willing and ready to aid me if I am to reclaim what's mine. If you will pledge yourself to the service of the King in Rags and the Fairest of Lands that were, you will not find me ungrateful."

Dismal Swamp

Thryscir grabs the wooden arm and pushes it to his right shoulder. "Alright, I may have rushed into this. What is it you're trying to reclaim, and if I accept, will I be super tied down? I'm not good with rules." As he delivers the last sentence, green energy drips off of the place where wood and bone meet, and the arm will be secured even better than his bone arm.

[Morty]

[Dismal Swamp]

The King in Rags, instead of answering, slides along the swamp's surface, without leaving a single ripple on the water. As he passes, a wind finally breaks the still air of the swamp... no, not a wind. A breath. A deep, slow breath coming from far away and slipping into the Nexus through the tracks. As the King passes, images appear in his wake. Mountains, covered in fog, with no ground in sight, the sky split open by lightning shot by dragons that soar between them. An endless lake of fire, where serpentine sprites dance, swim and leap. A battlefield, filled with unimaginable violence between armies of monsters, fairy soldiers, dragons and stranger beasts. Each of those images, and more, appears only for a heartbeat.

"This is what I will reclaim. The Fairest of Lands, my home, stolen from me by treachery. I cannot go back, but I will recreate them here. When making a pledge with me, you are only bound to that which you agree to and speak of. I cannot break a word once given. Such is the nature of the Gentry."

[The Woods near Edelina’s Farm]

Dipsnig loads as set of heavy-looking bolts into his crossbow, looking at the gargoyle warily. He's ready to shoot if things go poorly.

[Recaiden]

[Universe A => Real Universe]

That skeleton doesn't know when to quit! Poking, scratching, biting, but what does it hope to accomplish?
The Hound twists and jumps to shake the thing off.

"And how fearful someone must be who thought himself safe." Moschu scoffs.
"No, this nonsense with demons and killing the prisoners; I'm afraid our deal is off."
She tries to grab Benedict and drag him over towards the translation lens.

[Universe B]

Everything suddenly stops. The wasp was too tricky, and Moschu was unable to bring events here to a useful conclusion.
The world slides off into irrelevance and memory. It almost may as well never have existed.

It's possible someone might be able to do something tricky here, and escape through Moschu's memory into the real universe, or extend their existence somehow. But how troublesome that would be!

[CosmicHobbit]

Dismal Swamp

At the King's mentioning of his land being taken from him by treachery, Thryscir's face seems to soften, though only for a moment. Though nobody in this world yet knows this, Thryscir has been betrayed many times before, and he has a soft spot for people who have also been double-crossed.

He nods. "Well, I do believe that we should get to that deal then. From what I've seen and heard from you, this is a cause I can identify with, and I would be happy to help."

[Deathkeeper]

[The Woods Near Edelina's Farm]

Kray stands impassively behind Edelina, a hand on her axe.
"Please." she adds, only a little sarcastic.

[Earl of Purple]

Near Edelina's Farm

The gargoyle opens its mouth, and speaks. Despite the words, its mouth doesn't move. "The Tower must have a Wizard." The words are strong and masculine, no hint of the stone it's made of. It doesn't seem phased by the bows pointed in its direction, not flinching by the possible hostiles before it.

Old Wood
Universe A

Distraction. That's what the skeleton's hoping to accomplish. And it succeeds, trying to cling on, though it's shaken apart. One of its arms comes off at the shoulder and the other totally disintegrates, leaving the skeleton falling through the air, unable to cling onto the Hound of Tindalos- though the thing still has a hand and lower arm clinging to it.

Benedict is picked up and grabbed. "What the- let me down! You don't understand! I wouldn't have killed both of them, just the one to find out how they work! What would you have done with them, let them live? They don't speak the language and they're from a place where they're fighting humanity! You can't tell me they're safe!" He was pretty sure Moschu wanted them as a snack, since they're wasps and she's a spider. But that's probably a bit racist of him.

The wasp has the bottle, it's quite delicate and surprisingly heavy.

[Morty]

[Dismal Swamp]

"Tell me, then, what you have to offer me and what you wish in return," the King says, stopping again as the images of the Fairest of Lands fade. "Given how you helped Amalungak, you seem to be a warrior of no small skill."

[Nova_Eclipse]

[A Different Sort of Party]

The night passes uneventfully. Fayyaad and Cantata will find there are comfortable enough sleeping accomodations, and the Jaegers, while quiet, don't seem to sleep, keeping watch through the night for the pair. By the morning, though, even they are starting to doze a bit. Good thing, then, that by that point, Electra arrives. No longer wearing her dress or mask, instead clad in black combat boots, black cargoes, and a black tank top, her hair tied back in a more casual ponytail. The Jaegers start when the door opens, but quickly nod to her when they realize who she is.

"Good job, gentlemen. I've already sent payment, so you're free to leave. We're clear."

"Hokay, Miz Elektra. Vas a pretty borink night, so hyu dun gots nottink to vorry 'bout. Ve see yous for a drink soon, hey?"

Electra nods to the orange jaeger's inquiry. "I'll be looking forward to it, Jorgi." Both of the Jaegers beam at her, before wandering out of the place, clearly satisfied with a job well done. Electra makes her way further in, to where Cantata and Fayyaad are, and gives them both an cheerful smile.

"I hope you both slept ok, I know this isn't the most comfortable place to hide out."

[bc56]

Old Wood

The wasp isn't holding the bottle. There's no sign of where it went, and she definitely didn't hide it up her sleeve when no one was looking. She's slowly backing away from the bickering pair, towards the dormitories.

[Shadowcaller]

The Triple B - Ambrosia

Lydia nods and waits for Ambrosia to return, though when the scholar does come back she'll find that the dragon has gone back to her full form to stretch out under the stars. "Now there is a gorgeous dragon." Lydia coos, staring at Ambrosia as if hypnotized. "Why would you ever want to hide that form here? You're absolutely beautiful. Only a fool without any taste wouldn't love to gawk and stare at you."

[New Inside - Castilia]

New Inside may actually be larger than Inside and Riverside. Fortunately at least, that actually tended to make it less prone to demon activity. Sure, you'd get them on account of a higher population allowing for more morons who wanted to summon them, but you'd also get a greater accountability as people were always around you watching you. Neighborhood watch was an amazing thing.

But was there too much? This hospital looked less like a hospital and more like a secure ward. This may be trickier than Ilpholin had intended. That's ok. She's at least got a semblance of a plan or two depending on how this plays out.

She'll walk up to the desk, all smiles as she deliberately glances at the name tag. A gentle amount of pheromones start exuding from her body. Nothing particularly strong yet. "Yes. There were recently some fey brought in from the outside who were attacked by demons. Could you direct me to their rooms please Savannah?"

The Triple B - Ambrosia

"Kind words, miss Lydia." The dragon remarks with a sagely nod. "I'm not blind to my radiance however. In fact, it's why I choose to use a human shell. It draws a lot less attention." She keeps perfectly still in the air in a way simply flapping her wings wouldn't be able to do, suggesting that there is something more to it.
"But I couldn't help but to be impressed to see you in all your glory, kin. You are a spectacular representative of your kind. It was a while since I could truly enjoy the presence of one being that even vaguely resembled my own which is why I choose to reveal my little secret. One dragon to another we do need to bask in one another's brilliance occasionally, don't we?"

[New Inside - Castilia]

The nurse blinks at her bold request. "Uh, I can't really... miss, could I see your ID card, please? Sorry, but I don't recognize you." She smiles politely.

[CosmicHobbit]

[Dismal Swamp]

"Tell me, then, what you have to offer me and what you wish in return," the King says, stopping again as the images of the Fairest of Lands fade. "Given how you helped Amalungak, you seem to be a warrior of no small skill."

Dismal Swamp

"I am able to conjure weapons out of thin air and empower them with all sorts of effects, as if being a trained combatant wasn't enough," Thryscir says, sounding somewhat cocky. "Furthermore, if I am able to obtain an emerald, 10 centimeters cubed of pure gold, and something or someone which can cast a spell of entrapment I will be able to put my soul within the emerald while it is decorated with said gold. This makes me able to reform near the emerald, should I die."

Thryscir's jawbone contorts to appear to be smirking. "As for what I want in return, I would only like three things. One, some amount of freedom. I'm not asking for complete freedom to do anything I want, but I would prefer to not be told how to do missions you give me, just that I need to do them. Second, I'd like to have some sort of faerie weapon. I'm able to conjure mundane weapons and empower them, but I can't conjure already empowered weapons. Having one on hand would be great. And as for my last wish..." Thryscir's flames in his eyes appear to get brighter. "I want to know a secret about you that could help your enemies, one that few people know."

[Recaiden]

Old Wood

Distraction. That's what the skeleton's hoping to accomplish. And it succeeds, trying to cling on, though it's shaken apart. One of its arms comes off at the shoulder and the other totally disintegrates, leaving the skeleton falling through the air, unable to cling onto the Hound of Tindalos- though the thing still has a hand and lower arm clinging to it.

Benedict is picked up and grabbed. "What the- let me down! You don't understand! I wouldn't have killed both of them, just the one to find out how they work! What would you have done with them, let them live? They don't speak the language and they're from a place where they're fighting humanity! You can't tell me they're safe!" He was pretty sure Moschu wanted them as a snack, since they're wasps and she's a spider. But that's probably a bit racist of him.

The wasp has the bottle, it's quite delicate and surprisingly heavy.

The wasp isn't holding the bottle. There's no sign of where it went, and she definitely didn't hide it up her sleeve when no one was looking. She's slowly backing away from the bickering pair, towards the dormitories.

"When there are only a few to work with? It's so short-sighted to kill them already."
And wasps eat spiders plenty, but that's no reason they can't get along. Giant spiders eat plenty of humans too.
Moschu then does set the necromancer occultist down.
Well, she drops him. Then she starts trying to take anything and everything he has on him. Never know what weird magic a given object might be capable of.

The Hound twists its head around to try and get rid of that last clinging hand. Undead are no fun.

[Ashen Lilies]

[City out of Time]

As the two women approach the camp, they're quickly noticed by its inhabitants. Quite a few dwarves hustle and bustle there. Workers, porters, soldiers, warriors, scholars, scouts and sorcerers, by the looks of it. Many stops what they're doing to look at them, but two in particular come out to meet them. One is a wiry female dwarf with dark skin, dark blue-dyed hair and a tattoo on her weather-worn face. She's wearing a leather jacket and a dark blue cloak, with a short, curved bow unstrung on her back. The other one is an agitated-looking old, balding dwarf with a long, greying beard, wearing a red robe threaded with black.

"Welcome to our camp. You must be from MERC... oh, it's you." She finally recognizes Cassandra. "But I don't recognize your friend. I'm Shayna Gleeveck and I'm in charge of this expedition."

"You are not," says the other dwarf indignantly.

"There are some jurisdiction problems."

[City out of Time]

"Huh, interesting," Electra says. She's not sure there's much more to ask, and they've reached the camp anyways. She nods to the few dwarves that acknowledge the pair, and listens as Shayna introduces herself. She gives the pair a confident smile. She's always liked the dwarves she's met in the Nexus, and these two seem to be similar to the others she's met so far.

"Electra," she says, offering a hand. "Do we need to work out the jurisdictional problem before we get started, then?"

[City Out of Time]

Cass nods to Shayna by way of greeting, before looking back around the camp and noting the people in it, particularly the sorcerers. She doesn't say anything, letting Electra handle the power dispute.

[Morty]

[Dismal Swamp]

The King stares at Thryscir in silence for a long moment.

"A very bold request, that one. Are your services truly so priceless that I would give you the keys to defeating me?"

[City out of Time]

You clearly haven't met many dwarves, especially dwarven sorcerers,"" Shayna says, shaking Electra's hand. "I'd be willing to cede authority to a proper representative of their towers, the Sky knows I don't want it. But by the time they come to some kind of compromise or one of them pushes the others aside, the city might disappear."

"It's correct that the mission is rather time-critical," the balding dwarf says. "The city behind us is a temporal anomaly of some kind; it appears as it existed in an entirely different age, filled with sorceries that should no longer function. That is why there was an agreement to send for extra help, even if it means... lining a goblin's pockets." The disgust is rather palpable in his voice.

"Right..." Shayna glances over at him and sighs. "Leave the procedural arguments to us, since we're more or less agreed on what we'll be paying you for. Please follow us to the planning table so we can explain."

[Fendrick]

Near Edelina's Farm

The gargoyle opens its mouth, and speaks. Despite the words, its mouth doesn't move. "The Tower must have a Wizard." The words are strong and masculine, no hint of the stone it's made of. It doesn't seem phased by the bows pointed in its direction, not flinching by the possible hostiles before it.

Edelina is a bit taken aback by the lack of movement of the gargoyle's mouth. Creepy.

'What do you mean, gargoyle? Where's Matilda? Where's the wizard that owns this place?'

Edelina keeps the arrow trained on the gargoyle, aimed at his creepy, unmoving mouth. She stays still, ready for action if the gargoyle gets upset by her questions.

[Nova_Eclipse]

[City out of Time]

Electra nods as Shayna explains. These dwarves seem quite a bit different than the ones she's met so far. Theses "towers" sound like the councils she's heard other dwarves complaining about, though, so at least they have that in common. She wasn't really expecting them to ask for her or Cass's help with the territorial dispute, but it never hurts to offer, after all. The city being a temporal anomaly is a bit of news, but she expected there to be something weird with it anyways. Mentally, she prepares for the headache she's going to have later.

"I see. Well, then, lead on, so we can get started before the city fades away."

[Morty]

[Near Edelina's Farm]

"Maybe the tower doesn't have a wizard and this creature is looking for one," Dipsnig says, likewise keeping his crossbow trained on the gargoyle. "Maybe it thought Edelina could be one. Constructs... can be clever, but tend to follow their orders very literally."

[A Different Sort of Party]

"This is definitely better than many places I've slept in," says Fayyaad, who just finished washing up. "How did things go on your end?"

[Deathkeeper]

[Forest Near Edelina's Farm]

Kray stares at the gargoyle.
"If you took her sister because the Tower needed a wizard, then she is currently the master of the tower.
We wish to visit the Wizard of the tower. Let us past." she says stiffly. One must be specific and logical with minions like this.

[Ashen Lilies]

[City Out of Time]

Cass listens with half a pointy ear, trying not to smirk at the stereotypical dwarfiness on display. She follows along mildly.

[Morty]

[City Out of Time]

Shayna and the sorcerer lead the two mercenaries to a table, strewn with maps, diagrams and other papers. Many other dwarves of both genders surround, some dressed in the capes and robes of sorcerers, others looking more like Shayna. Others still look more like laborers. They look up when the three arrive, and one of the sorcerers reluctantly motions to Shayna to speak.

"Here's where we stand. This place... is some kind of reflection of a city we otherwise know of from scattered records."

"Vasheyn, the city of bridges of light," says a sorcerer in a dark yellow robe and a brown, high-collared cloak. He's clean-shaven and his receding brown hair is combed back. "It is said that its inhabitants combined kinetic and luminescent sorcery to create tangible, solid light. We don't know how much of it is truth and how much is exaggeration."

"If such sorcery ever did exist, it shouldn't be possible anymore. All known attempts have resulted in... spectacular reality tears. Even if you were to procure information about it, there's little chance we can replicate it. Our world is simply too thin for it now." This is said by another sorcerer, in a dark blue cloak over a brighter loose vest.

"Which is part of the reason you're not going there for that. This city is... was... old enough to contain information about the King in Rags. We believe that its inhabitants, along with their Jotunn ancestors, fought him. It. If someone ever knew how to stop one of the Gentry, it would be dwarves and Jotunn of those times."

[Earl of Purple]

Near Edelina's Farm

The gargoyle responds to Edelina first. "The Tower has a Wizard." Possibly a little opaque in meaning, but maybe not. The gargoyle doesn't reply to what Dipsnig says, either not hearing or because it wasn't directly addressed.

Then Kray makes her demand, and the gargoyle turns its head toward the minotaur. "If you are invited, you may open the door." So... possibly some kind of trap on the door? Or maybe just a magical seal.

Old Woods

Benedict groans when he's dropped. "They'll die at some point. And I'd only kill one of them. It'd also help me keep the other alive, unless you think I can tell what they need to eat just by looking. Vivisection's a faster death than starvation, and only kills one." Depending on positioning, the wasp might be able to read what Benedict says on the lens he created.

Rummaging through Benedict's pockets find many things, especially the inside ones. There's a stone prism covered in a strange mystic pattern that twists magic around it. An iron sculpture of a ship hanging from a brass chain. A centipede with dragonfly wings trapped in a block of amber. A large, dagger-like shard of stained glass. A roll of sticky tape. A wand made of goat's horn and wrapped with copper wire. A battered brass locket held fast by a little hook. A small bottle of old, clotted blood.

The bottle, locket, wand, broken glass, ship and prism are all magic, to some extent or another. So is the bottle the wasp took, wherever that's gone.

[Nova_Eclipse]

[City Out of Time]

Electra listens intently, even as she moves up to the table to inspect the maps, looking for ones of the city that she can commit to her HUD for reference once they're inside. She pauses for a moment, though, looking back up and raising an eyebrow when the sorcerer mentions solid light. That sounds more like technology to her....technology that's frighteningly familiar.

"So...this 'solid light' they created....aside from the bridges, were they able to do anything else with it? From what you say, perhaps it's possible that the sorcery itself is what's causing the city to fade in and out."