Outside 49: I don’t remember what it looks like either

[Earl of Purple]

Not Crab or Tidepools

The gold hoop earrings are put on! This isn't how they were designed to be used, but they fit. Snapdragon might find her hearing is slightly sharper now, too. It'll probably take a bit to get used to it, as sounds around her are louder whilst they're worn. Great for eavesdropping, though.

[Chaotic Bob]

A Brisk Afternoon Jog

"Well, properly speaking, we grow fast. I'm not sure entirely how old this particular shape is. It might be closer to an 18-year-old dragonborn? I used to be a lot smaller you see, but I went on a grand quest and look like this now. So I'm quite legal to be drinking, even if my brain's still young by human standards. Hehe, I used to look like this." G'nichi digs out his phone and shows Mari a photo of his tiny former self. His glasses look much larger on his old self but they're clearly the same ones.
"But yeah no I'm here on complete blind bad luck. I was just doing cardio training. That's really it." It's not, of course. G'nichi had a magic sword telling him what to do. But he'd rather nobody know just how smart his weapons are. Better everyone remain ignorant of G'nichi's tools.
Yeah, that means you, Sword. G'nichi might not like your tone but you are admittedly smarter than most swords that exist.

Being smarter than most swords that exist is a low bar that this particular sword is happy to cut past.
In the spirit of that intelligence, it shall wisely not comment on its contribution to G'nichi being in this terrible situation.

Mari squints at his picture a bit, blinking a couple times to keep a good focus on it. Despite drinking quite a bit quite often, the color of her cheeks suggests she is still very much capable of being drunk.
Which, given that was her stated goal for this, works out pretty great.
"Huh, well that's something. I'm not sure if I would feel more or less bad having a little weenie dragon caught up in this."
Pause.
"No offense. Uh. Wait, what kinda quest gets you that jacked?"

Asking for a friend?

[Deathkeeper]

[A Brisk Afternoon Jog]

"Excuse you, I was a little weenie lizard." G'nichi laughs as he takes another pull.
"I'm only a dragon now. Used to have wings too, but a nice angel lady got rid of them for me because I kept hurting myself banging them on doorways." he shakes his head.
"Well, I found this bunny-cat that offered to grant wishes but it was SUPER sketchy. Like, the kind of slimey djinn that would turn you into a cow if you asked for a beefy body. So heck no to that. Then I got a magic cape but it didn't really do anything. Then I got shot a whole bunch and smashed with a hammer paying for the magic cape and eventually I met an alchemist. This isn't even what I was supposed to look like. I was supposed to be a big lizard, not a dragon. I don't think anyone should do what I did. I was amazingly lucky that getting distracted just made me a dragon and not like, a horrible tangle of limbs and tails."
That would have been awful. Honestly if he hadn't had a decent mental image of Buff G'nichi it's possible he would have turned into a copy of Kara and Navvy stuck together when they burst into the room.

[Chaotic Bob]

[A Brisk Afternoon Jog]

"Lizard. Dragon. All scaleyfolk."
Ignore the faint little slur in the middle of lizzzard there.

Mari listens to G'nichi's story fairly intently, or as intently as someone can when they're staring mournfully at how low the wine bottle has gotten. It's downright empty.
Wait. It is empty. Already? Nooooooo.

"Alright, I might be a little drunk. Or very drunk here in a minute.
But I don't think all those muscles there are going to distract me from how much bull that story reeks of. I've read fairy tales with less weird stuff than that.
...and I came from a village with an angry tree god."

[Deathkeeper]

[A Brisk Afternoon Jog]

G'nichi shrugs.
"Look, if I just worked out a lot wouldn't I say so? Besides you saw the picture. No way you go from small and green to bronze and huge without magic.
And wait, is he a god of trees or is he an actual tree-god somewhere?"
Because if there is an actual tree G'nichi knows a sword that would be very good at chopping it.

[5a Violista]

[Not a Crab]

Oh, that sort of makes sense. Snapdragon was a chimera but a triplet chimera, and then plum witches turned her into three people. But then something-or-other happened and then turned into an animal fusion and all sorts of things, but has the ability to look human too but presumably they don't do it because of how convenient it is to be in different places at the same time. Still doesn't entirely get it, but she says, "Oh, that makes sense."

She thinks about it more, and says, "Hey, wouldn't it make more sense if the dragon was actually the front and the other two were just on backwards? Because, y'know, dragon." That's just how dragons work.

"Yeah, that mirror's a nice novelty item but phones do it better."
Seraphina considers looking at the other things washed ashore, but after glancing back at the crab island again, she decides against it and just lets someone else discover them. After all, if the crab even shifts a little, there could be a huge wave that could get these important documents wet. "So...sorry, where were we headed next, again?"

[Rebonack]

[Not a Crab]

Did things just get a little louder when Snap put on the earrings?

Nah she's probably just imagining it.

"It definitely doesn't make sense," Snapdragon counters as she begins inspecting some of the other treasure-y looking things that washed ashore. Seraphina had only looked in the chest, right? There was some other neat stuff, too. Snap is a pretty big fan of neat stuff. Dragon and all.

She considers a reverse chimera and what that would require.

"Nah," she eventually concludes. "Lion and goat heads really don't make very good tails. But a dragon? Especially the sort without legs that definitely aren't snakes? Those make GREAT tails. I was a fantastic tail, pretty much the best."

She's quite proud of the job she did as Chimera's tail. Nothing to be ashamed of.

"Well, I was going to do a little more beach combing and then head back to Inside University to drop off this crab chitin. Where were you going?"

[5a Violista]

[Not a Crab]

Seraphina wasn't thinking that the lion head is the tail, but instead the whole lion's body is the tail.


She shrugs.
"I dunno where," she says.
"Was probably going to look for a town that has both a net cafe and a scanner but doesn't have any death cults or whatever else. And while I was there, look up to see if there's a local branch of this bank-" the one in Riverside "-so they can return it to its owner. Or their descendants, maybe, depending on how old that lighthouse is."

[Earl of Purple]

Not a Crab

There's a shattered barrel that did contain a bunch of gold coins, and a bundle of muskets still safely stowed in their oilskin and in very good condition as a result. But mostly it was the one chest that was interesting.

Still in the box are a glass eye, with a brown iris, a white silk handkerchief with a black wolf emblazoned on the corner, and a mahogany hand-mirror, with gilt traceries around the outside, although the glass itself is cracked. It also reflects an old and stately male elf, rather than Snapdragon. If she meets its eyes, she'll feel a slight compulsion to tell the mirror her name. Not a big one, though.

And Seraphina left the jewellery box alone after rooting through it, too. It's ivory, missing a leg and without a lock, and still in it are a blue pin-badge shaped like three teardrops arranged in a triangle, a polished iron pyrite ammonite, a crude necklace consisting of ten teeth on a leather thong, and a hideous statue carved from red jasper shaped like a squat, big-headed humanoid with a very wide mouth clutching a tiny fork in one hand and a crude depiction of a person in the other. The platinum ring with a four-leafed clover design might also have been put back in the jewellery box, since Seraphina found it fit her little finger and decided against trying it on any others.

[Rebonack]

[Not a Crab]

Oh yeah.

Snap is absolutely taking some of those gold coins.

It's dubious whether or not she actually needs then for anything but boy does she ever desire them.

Hmm...

What else?

That ammonite sure looks pretty. She'll grab that, too. Oh and that pretty ring! That silk handkerchief is nice, too. Oh what the heck, she'll take the whole jewelry box and fill it up with a few coins after sticking the kerchief and fossil in her pocket. The ring goes on her finger because where else would she put it?

"Okay, well, I'm heading back to Inside. But Riverside is closer. That's what those keys go to," Snapdragon says as she starts up the trail to the top of the bluff. Thankfully it wasn't washed out by the surge of crab waves.

[Deathkeeper]

In Search of a Dwarf Fortress

Spako Highclaws and Ser Pepper head out to the hills outside the city of Inside and below the Vigil skybase as they depart the airship stop. Spako considered being a Kobold but he will save that for the fort itself. He’ll tire slower as something with long legs.
”So let’s say we find this place and it all goes well...where are you going to get the silver and titanium?” asks the dragon conversationally as they start walking.

[Rebonack]

[In Search of a Fortress]

Pepper is, of course, prancing.

She used to make a horse. Does Spako recall that? Back when Rebonack was still cursed he would make a steed for himself that was... also himself. He was pretty weird. Pepper still has a built in steed, too! Like a centaur! But smaller! Still pretty weird. And way bouncier. In spite of how heavy she is she hardly makes a mark in the grass as she springs along. It's probably a gaiad thing.

"Oh that's the easy part!" Ser Pepper replies, smiling over at Spako. "This mine mainly dug up silver, gold, platinum, and titanium! There will probably still be ingots of it down there. Waaaaaay more than I'll need! The tricky part will be finding some raw mithril. I guess it usually gets made into other things REAL quick since it's so special."

The gaia seems perfectly happy to ramble about metallurgy.

"Most things made of mithril aren't actually ALL mithril! See, you make an alloy with it! Aluminum, titanium, and iron all work. But I especially want titanium since it alloys well with silver. And since we have to deal with those mean ol' meany demons sometimes having arms and armor that are silver will be SUPER handy! See?" she taps the side of her side of her head. "Not all fluff and stuff up here, no sir! I'm still- ooh butterflies!"

She goes prancing after a rather large metallic blue butterfly as it goes fluttering past.

"Come back, friend!"

[Deathkeeper]

In Search of a Fortress

”No Ser Pepper! Stay focused!” Spako droops a wing over Pepper before she can go pronking off into the woods. That ditziness is going to get her killed one day.
”If it does have all those metals I’m glad I brought my bag of holding. We’re gonna need a lot of metal for the kiddies.
You know, this really takes me back. This isn’t my first time going on a quest for mithril after a friend had some bad luck, you know. I like to think the Professor still has that mithril leg. It was pretty ritzy.”
Spako used to blame himself for that turn of events but he’s forgiven himself. It was that stupid ghost’s fault. Spako wasn’t even in the room.

Spako for the record, does not seem to be carrying a bag. Must be a shapeshifter quirk.

[Rebonack]

[In Search of a Fortress]

"Right right! Come on brain!" Pepper says, grabbing her ears and giving them a firm yank as she screws her eyes shut. "Come on! Work with me here."

Easy.

This is easy.

No chasing butterflies.

They have a mission.

"Okay, okay I'm good! Great! Wowie, I'm fantastic. Everything is fine," Pepper declares as she takes a deep breath and then sets off at a measured pace. "Just keep on walking walking walking, keep on walking~" she sing-songs. "My armor will gobble up lots of metal, but I'm sure there will be plenty of ingots left over! Dunno how useful titanium is to dragons, though."

It isn't copper, gold, silver, OR an alloy of any of them!

And then our heroes will happen on something curious.

They're in a forest now, coming down a mountain road, the trees lightly dusted by snow. It certainly wasn't where they were before. And it is just a tad nippier, too. Pepper doesn't seem terribly shocked by this. All too often when you're traveling Outside you'll suddenly find yourself skip from one biome to another. In fact, she's smiling at the change of scenery. Maybe a forest like this isn't quite as tempting to frolic in as a field full of flowers is. She begins trotting along the road at a measured pace, admiring the surroundings, when suddenly one of her ears twitches and her expression shifts.

She gives a little gasp.

"Wowie zowie, no way! Quick hide! Be something smol!" Pepper says as she tries pushing Spako off the road and into the brush, her armor cube skittering after her.

From further up the road comes the sound of two horse drawn carts clattering along. Though that wasn't what got such a dramatic reaction out of Pepper. Oh no! It's what she heard someone saying with those great big cervine ears of hers.

"Hey, you. You’re finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there," comes the voice of a man with an odd accent. His hands are bound and he's seated in the back of the cart with three others. A man in rags, a fellow in a fine fur coat, and... someone else?

[5a Violista]

[Not a Crab]

Since she's expecting to have to pay for a net cafe, Seraphina grabs a couple coins as well. "Oh. Huh. I see," she says. She hasn't really run into any obvious signs to either of those places, so they're probably a bit too far to walk. She did run into some train tracks once, though, so maybe those lead to one of those. If Riverside is closer, she probably should set that as a goal, to eventually find it and get there. See what it's like.

Going up the bluff is somewhat in the same direction as Seraphina's place, so she walks up there too. "I never thought I'd see a crab that large," she says. "It's pretty..." pretty...she can't think of an adequate descriptor for it.


[In Search of a Fortress]

The fourth 'passenger' on the cart - a redhead with short hair - looks up, and forward, and backwards, and finally at the person talking to her. She blinks.

Of course, she has no idea why she's here or who these other people are. A thief? Some sort of empire? Where even is here, anyway? What border?

She feels cold, which is no wonder considering that she's wearing what basically looks like brown rags or something. Well, not quite rags. She shivers in the cold air, and notices that her hands are bound, too.

She looks back at the horse-thief, and then at the talking man.
She blinks.
What? No, she's got to be dreaming. What. "..." Maybe if she just stays here on this cart, someone will tell her where they are and what's actually going on.

[Deathkeeper]

In Search of a Forest

Spako makes a most undignified dragon-squeak and shrinks into his usual shiny kobold self (wearing a warm red outfit and scarf of course).
"What's up?" he whispers, trying to keep his scales and sword from glinting in the sunlight from their hiding place.

[Rebonack]

[Not a Crab]

"It WAS pretty," Snapdragon agrees. "Prettiest giant crab I've ever seen. Haven't seen TOO many giant crabs, though, so I may not be setting the bar very high. Really, how often do you see a crab that's as big as an island? Once? Well, I guess you could probably come back and see the crab as often as you like once you know where it is but I'm not sure if that counts."

Snap pauses for a bit at the top of the bluff and admires the huge crustacean for a bit longer.

"So! You want me to show you the way to Riverside? Or are you going to head back to your shack? I wouldn't mind the company if you wanted to tag along. More's the merrier as they say."

Man, what a fantastic day this has been!

Sure her research site got utterly wrecked but hey! There are always other places where she can go and measure crabs. It just means she's going to have to start her study over again. That's no big deal. The BIG deal is the BIG crab! That's an amazing discovery! And the treasure isn't bad, either. She might not really need it that much right now but once the sisters enact their plans it's probably going to come in really handy. They'll need to acquire a new home. Or at least a new apartment. Having your house turn into a tree in the middle of a magical forest isn't exactly great.


[In Search of a Fortress]

"Bethesda finally managed to sell Skyrim for the Nexus," Pepper whispers back with scarcely contained giggling. Apparently she has some idea of what's going on? When that likely results in a confused look she decides to elaborate. "Hehe, sorry. It was a popular story? Game? in the world I came from before the Nexus. The game was called Skyrim and the people who made it is Bethesda. They were famous for making it on just about every platform you can imagine. And now here it is in the Nexus! You're the hero of the story and of course when I played it I was a champion of righteous justice."

She never even did any of the thieves guild quests. What else would Ser Pepper be?

Goodness she's so glad that she got her memories back after that awful ooze curse was lifted. It was terrible being unable to remember everything from before that awful wizard. Before everything had been this awful muddled blank. Sure there's some weird blending of the usual 'weren't you always a gaiad?' nonsense but Pepper likes to think she's a bit to sharp for that! She even managed to shove her way through it when she was one hundred percent Buttercup! Oh wait right, the story.

"So the story begins with you waking up on this prisoner cart," she continues as she armor cube disperses into a cloud of metal and begins assembling itself over her gambeson. The guards have iron and steel weapons aplenty, so she probably doesn't want to take any chances. She creeps along through the under brush to keep up with the cart. "There will be this village called Helgen up ahead where they're taking the prisoners. The hero is going to be that woman with the red hair."

Meanwhile!

The thief glances at the as yet silent fourth occupant of the prisoner cart. No one has noticed the gaiad and the kobold creeping through the brush nearby. Why would they? It isn't part of the script.

"Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn’t been looking for you, I could’ve stolen that horse and been half way to Hammerfell," the horse thief spits back at the blond, bearded man. Then he glances over at the woman, bitterness in his voice. "You there. You and me — we shouldn't be here. It’s these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."

"We’re all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief," the bearded man sighs, his voice heavy with resignation.

"Shut up back there!" yells the solider in vaguely Roman looking red and brown armor riding at the front of the cart. He sounds exasperated with the whole situation.

[Deathkeeper]

[In Search of a Fortress]

Spako creeps along with Ser Pepper, touching his emerald amulet. A suit of dark scale-mail folds into existence over Spako much like Pepper's armor. He's a bit less quiet with it on. But he doesn't like being skewered either.
"So what are we gonna do about it? Are we supposed to spring her?" Spako whispers back. He can barely figure out how phones work, let alone video games. He's not going to question any of this.
Oh darn, now he's the perfect size to sit on Ser Pepper's back. He'll have to ask about that later. He knows Pepper would probably find that hilarious.

[Rebonack]

[In Search of a Fortress]

"Well, if everything is on script then that means the carts go to the town down the road and they start executing prisoners," Pepper whispers back. "And then they put the hero on the chopping block. Right as the headsman starts raising the axe a dragon shows up and everything goes crazy!"

Often times dragons showing up causes lots of excitement.

Especially when they start making fireballs rain out of the sky while setting people on fire.

"Not a dragon like you, though, he's only got two legs and two wings," Pepper clarifies.

That's a very important point.

We wouldn't want to be mixing up dragons from different genres.

That might get confusing!

"But since this is the Nexus it might be off script already. The town might not be there. Or the dragon might not show up. Who knows! Wowie, it's kind of exciting isn't it?"

[5a Violista]

[Not a Crab]

Seraphina looks back at the crab-island as she considers this new development: if she's willing to show the way to Riverside, that would save a lot of work, wouldn't it? Riverside probably has a lot of scanners and computers you can rent.

But what if it's too far and she can't get back? She'd have to start over again with only some idea of where she is and no place to stay. The handful of coins she grabbed might actually be useful, then, depending on how valuable they actually are and the local economy and such. Might be able to find some place to buy them off of her and then they can give her some money. Or maybe someone would be willing to trade, gold coins for food or shelter or something. Hopefully there'll be people willing to take gold.

She thinks about it. "Yeah, sure," she says. "Going with someone I know is probably better than asking a blood sacrifice cultist or a brainwashed housewife for directions."

Thinking back to her hypothesis, she tries to confirm it by asking, "So did you take a train? Or did you drive here? or something." The 'or something' obviously refers to plum tree teleportation, obviously.



[In Search of a Fortress]

The so-far-silent woman thinks she understands what's going on. They're taking them to a prison or something. And when they get there, she can just explain that she has no idea what's going on or where she is or anything, and they'll be able to tell her what's up and maybe check or something. Since they just found her, right? She didn't actually break any laws or steal any horses or whatever.

She opens her mouth, about to say something, to ask either the horse thief or the bearded man about where they are (because if they are going to a prison, she imagines she won't be kept with those two, for obvious reasons).
But.
The soldier shouting at them shuts her up pretty nicely: definitely don't want to antagonize the totally armed guy who is clearly holding you prisoner.

She bites her lip, rubs her legs together to warm them up, and looks around some more. Maybe...maybe she can figure out all this stuff without having to ask anyone. At least they all speak the same language, so that's a relief.

[Deathkeeper]

In Search of a Fortress

”Oh, I tried that once, it was awful.”
He’s referring to having two legs and two wings. Spako briefly looked like that before he convinced Meirhin to give him a sample of her blood to become a full dragon.
”So...should we do something?” Ser Pepper seems oddly not worried about the potential executing of prisoners.
Maybe she knows the story and they’re bad people?

[Rebonack]

[In Search of a Fortress]

The cart continues bouncing down the flagstone road. It has to be going to a prison, right? Then there will probably be trials or something. That's how criminal justice works isn't it? Though these folks don't look terribly modern. Maybe they don't roll with ideas like presumption of innocence.

The horse thief glances at the fourth occupant of the cart, the man in robes with a gag tied tight around his mouth. "And what's wrong with him?" he asks, curiously.

Immediately the blond bearded man's tone turns venous. "Watch your tongue! You’re speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King."

Huh. If this guy is a High King then why is he bound in the back of a horse drawn cart? Definitely doesn't SEEM very kingly, high or otherwise.

The thief suddenly looks bewildered, dread creeping into his voice. "Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You’re the leader of the rebellion. But if they captured you… Oh gods, where are they taking us?"

"I don’t know where we’re going," the bearded man replies with a shake of his head, resignation in his tone. "But Sovngarde awaits."

"No, this can’t be happening. This isn’t happening!" the thief wails, straining at his bonds. This earns him another glare for the solider sitting at the front of the cart.

"Hey, what village are you from, horse thief?" the blond man asks, his tone wistful.

"What do you care?" the thief spits back.

"A Nord's last thoughts should be of home," the man replies.

Shakily, the thief says, "Rorikstead. I’m…I’m from Rorikstead."

Meanwhile!

Ser Pepper definitely knows the story and they're bad people. Buncha super racist folks who would probably mistreat people like herself and Spako. She also isn't sure whether or not this whole thing is going to go straight off the rails. The Nexus rarely plays anything straight, after all. As much of a meme as the Skyrim opening is, it seems like it would be a complete missed opportunity not to subvert it somehow.

"I'm not sure," Pepper admits as she continues trailing the carts. "There are a bunch of soldiers here just doing their jobs. And the rebels they've got tied up started a civil war and they really don't like other races. Not even humans that look a little different than they do. They aren't nice people. If we tried freeing the hero there will definitely be a fight. I think maybe we should wait and see what happens? If the whole story unfolds then the hero will get freed anyway and we can help her get away. If it doesn't then we can move in as soon as it goes off script."

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Forest of Flowers]

"Lucy!" Vivi says almost reproachfully, as though the very idea of a 'pessimistic' outlook were painful to her. "You are special to me. And if you are special to someone... that makes you special. Doesn't it?" Vivi isn't really trying to use reasoning here. She just stares at Lucy with the most earnest, vulnerable expression a person could possibly muster.

[Forest of Flowers]

"Well-" Lucy manages a half-smile, wiping away a tear forming at the corner of her eye. "I-if my goddess says I'm special, I-I suppose it has to be true, doesn't it?" She leans in against Vivi, her embrace tightening such that she's almost clinging to her. "N-no more self doubt, for today at least, I promise. I'd rather just enjoy getting to be in your company again. I've missed you."

[Earl of Purple]

Not a Crab

The mirror contains a reflection; if anyone looks it in the eye, and speak their name, their reflection enters the mirror and they 'wear' the shape of the old and stately elf it currently stores. It doesn't change any of their abilities or memories, though, and they learn the name of the reflection, as well (Sannameth Vaelerleth). The tooth necklace helps the wearer eat anything, protecting them from poisoning and ingested parasites and disease, but it also makes them hungrier... And wearing it for a long period might make the wearer's stomach rumble when they see another person, especially if they're the same species of person. No other really magical objects amongst them, however. Although if Snapdragon investigates the symbol on the handkerchief, she'll find it's embroidered with the personal symbol of the House Von Carstein, Lords of Transylvania in the Empire of the Old World... And famously, a line of vampires.

[5a Violista]

[In Search of a Fortress]

It should, of course, not be forgotten that 'just doing my job' is a pretty poor excuse for persecution of a religious minority and turning a blind eye to elven supremacy. Just because one side is horrible doesn't automatically make their opposition any better.

Unfortunately, the redhead woman wouldn't be any better off knowing anything more about either of these two sides. In fact, she'd still be in the exact same state that she currently is.

If she's in the same cart as the king, then...what, the soldier guy works for a usurper? Or maybe an invading army. Wait, would that mean they are treating her as a wartime prisoner? So, what, this is going to be a public execution as a warning against anybody who even might be thinking about opposing their despotism? That's probably why they captured her and this thief, too. To send their message that just breathing the same air as their enemies is worthy of death.

She definitely has to get out of here. Some sort of distraction that'll let her go.
She looks around some more, and back at Ulfric. Come on: if he's the leader of a rebellion, that means there's got to be some of his men around ready to save him, right? Can't they just hurry it up? They had better not be waiting for the last minute.

[Deathkeeper]

In Search of a Fortress

One side is probably worse than the other when their entire existence is because the elves tricked Ulfric into making it to weaken the other side. Anyway!

Spako nods.
”Alright. Say the word, and I’ll hop on your back and we charge.” whispers the Kobold to the gaiad.

[Rebonack]

[In Search of a Fortress]

Pepper nods back-

-and then a distraction happens.

They don't arrive at a village. Or get attacked by a dragon. Or any of the things that are supposed to happen, really. In fact, something quite different takes place. The scenery sort of jitters for a moment and then Spako, Pepper, and the horse-and-cart that was closer to them are suddenly elsewhere. Before they were traversing a cool boreal forest. Now they're...

Geeze.

What even IS this place?

They're still traveling on a road. But it looks ancient and crumbling. One of the cart's wheels immediately gets stuck, lurching to the side awkwardly. Thankfully the horse stops rather than spooking. For good reason. Because about twenty feet in front of the horse the road ends.

And so does the land.

This is an island.

In the sky.

Our heroes appear to be standing in some sort of ruin, ancient remains of marble palaces and temples abound, though they're overgrown with stunted, twisty little trees and vines covered in pink flowers. Clouds cling to the edge of the platform. Should anyone look over the edge, they'll see nothing but endless sky. More islands drift above and below, marble foundations built atop chocolate-colored stone. A few small brown fragments are floating through the air, little bits of wispy white clinging to them.

The soldiers are prisoners are all gone, save for the red haired woman.

Pepper blinks at the scene change.

"Oh. It left everyone else behind? Hello!" the armored gaiad calls out to the red haired woman. "Are you alright?"

Probably. It's a bit chilly up here in the sky, though.


[Post-Crab]

"Yeah I took a train over, c'mon I'll show you," Snap replies as she heads to the nearest riftling station.

And showing Seraphine is exactly what she'll do.

[5a Violista]

[In Search of a Fortress]

The red-haired woman blinks and looks around. Wait, is this whole thing just an extended hallucination? They didn't just turn invisible, or something, right?
No, the chill feels too real to be a hallucination. Could still be a dream, though. The chances of this being a dream just keeps on rising.

Well, she quickly sees that the soldier's gone. And there's a cliff up ahead. Pretty lucky that the cliff didn't appear under or behind the cart. She probably should get out of this cart quickly.
Speaking of 'out of this cart', she hears someone calling to her. Maybe they know what's going on. She stands up in the cart and turns to the source of the voice. Two people? "Oh. Um...Hi," she says. She would wave, but her hands are still bound. "I don't think everyone else is alright, though. They just vanished."

She walks to the edge of the cart and looks for a way down without using her hands. Eventually, she decides to sit on the edge and slide off.

"...You guys know where we are?" she asks.


[Post-Crab]

Seraphina goes to the train station with her,
probably talks about various things,
and discovers Riverside as a location.

[Shadowcaller]

[Walk in the Woods - Thariza]

"She's trying to calm this storm, not summoning it," Thariza says, watching the figures with narrowed eyes. "And she didn't bring you here, either. We have no idea what did."

[Journey to the Center of the Elves]

The speaker's thoughts put one name to the surface: the King in Rags. She fears this name a great deal and is deeply concerned that their arrival has to do with it. That the King has returned.

"There is little for you to learn or understand. It's an old tale of slavery and fear. We have sworn, all of us Taarik, to let it stay buried. And here you come now, to unearth it. Claiming it has spread to other lands. If what you say is true, it's the greatest treason imaginable."

[Walk in the Woods - Thariza]

"Yeah! We're just trying to help out and stop this thing!" The Other Ambrosia attempts to assure with what must be her best winning smile.

The warriors remain resolute however, their glowing eyes not wavering with any kind of hesitation as Thariza claims they got nothing to do with this.
Then show us to what or who is responsible and we shall end their wretched existence.

"Whoa! Coming off bit intense there, dudes. But I... yeah! I think I'm starting to get control of this now..."
Indeed, there are fewer and fewer lighting strikes visible upon the skies. The strange clouds are still there but it looks like the red lighting assault is just about over now.

[Morty]

[Walk in the Woods - Thariza]

Wretched existence. Good one. They sound like a sylvari knight on a quest.

"We have no idea who or what caused this mess," Thariza says. "I was here with a friend, then things started exploding and we got separated."