Outside 51: It's just a weather balloon

[Deathkeeper]

An Improbable Adventure

Maybe a perpendicular universe?
"It looked like a drawing of a hippopotamus person. Maybe it escaped from a computer somewhere? I don't have much experience with things that exist in two dimensions. Maybe I was too rough with him." G'nichi hopes he didn't kill the poor creature. That would probably be a bit extreme.

[Chaotic Bob]

[ABAJ - ???]

"Syncope tried to explain how this all worked to me, but I'll admit I was only half paying attention."
She had slightly more pressing things on her mind at the time than magical technobabble.
"The village did originally exist, it may not anymore I don't know, before Syncope tied it up in this. It was linked to this slumbering god-thing's dreams, where it could be coaxed into a theoretically endless stream of dreaming the same thing over and over again. Left alone, the same day would just repeat, but since some of us were...'aberrantly aware' or something, it kept messing with the repetition and making slightly different outcomes each time.

I think it was supposed to be a literal restart each time, but someone changed something so it's a new one each time, leading to all these water bowl things as some concrete representation I guess. I'm guessing it was our lovely opponent, given a sort of important side effect here: the god-thing is granting each new dream enough reality that the people inside them are actually alive with their own souls and stuff. Hundreds of Jebs, hundreds of me's, all the way down."

The presence behind G'nichi seems to draw back in a phantom gasp.
"Oh dear. This paints a grim picture. Do you see it? A necromancer with an endless supply of captive souls..."

[Deathkeeper]

ABAJ - ???

Yeah that's worth a nervous gulp for sure.
"So that's what this was? I only got brought in to try to put a blade into something to disrupt this cycle? I didn't actually need to win, just live long enough for you to pull me out and start what's happening right now?" Something occurs to him.
"This is my first go, right?" Syncope did show a few bad endings which might mean that some of those created souls in the stream could be his. Or Syncope can just see possible futures.

[Rebonack]

[An Improbable Adventure]

"I don't... I'm not sure what a computer is, either," Fenris replies uncertainly. "It sounds like I'm going to have to better familiarize myself with tools that are commonly used here."

Computer.

Like...

Computing?

Calculating?

Some sort of strange arithmetic engine? She's heard of the dwarves creating machines like that, constructs that are able to calculate geometric and algebraic equations that would take dozens of years to work out by hand. Maybe such wonders are common place here? Fenris is left wondering what the world would be like if the dwarves hadn't all vanished and instead shared their knowledge with the world at large.

What a world that would be.

It isn't too long before dusk begins to fall over our heroes, leaving Fenris to gather deadwood to make a fire for the evening. Thankfully there's no lack of it where they find themselves. They're walking through what appears to be a long dried swamp, all that remains are salty flats desiccated trees. Once she a sufficient heap of wood Fenris casts a simple fire spell to ignite it. She's certainly no expert in destruction magic, but she knows the basics at the very least. Being able to have fire on hand at all times is an incredibly useful tool for exploring.

[Deathkeeper]

An Improbable Adventure

"Imagine a box with a glass screen that can do calculations, project images, and perform an extremely large array of tasks." He'll be able to show her once they're settled in.

G'nichi can breathe a tiny amount of fire if he tries. It's only enough to light small fires and to look dramatic when he's angry most of the time.
"This is my phone. It's a very small computer with a mechanical ear and a mechanical mouth in those holes. I can use it to speak to anyone who also has one, most of the time." he says, offering her his phone to look at.

[Chaotic Bob]

[ABAJ - ???]

"We were both pulled in to disrupt the cycle. I was just the unlucky test run to your upgraded product."
A somewhat meaningful glance is spared towards G'nichi's undeniably potent swords.
"I think in the original version, one of us properly winning would have locked the opponent in a safe loop. Maybe. My piece of Syncope seemed to not have the precise details, I guess in case she got stolen.
But since it was broken the way it is...winning wouldn't really matter. Or losing. You did need to play along though, at least until you could get into the temple away from whoever our opponent happened to be piloting at the time. If she knew we were trying to get you free of the cycle you would never survive the first day again."

Which segues into G'nichi's final question and Mari's following grimace isn't super promising.
"No...but it's also different with you, thanks to that thing."
Mari points at his bracelet.
"There aren't a bunch of copy-G'nichi souls tucked away in here. Just a...few G'nichi bodies. Syncope theorizes it's bouncing you out of...uh...'probabilistic dead ends'? Something about its divinity doing some cheaty crap with the god-thing's dream divinity."

"To offer a theory from my perspective on souls...I believe you are functioning like a lightning bolt in a storm. The bolt scatters in the air in several directions in order to find the primary path that takes it to the ground. From your perspective, you traveled straight through the fruitful path, with no awareness or loss of the fruitless ones."

[Rebonack]

[An Improbable Adventure]

Fenris also fishes some rations out of her pack, mostly dried meat and hard bread. Unfortunately there isn't much around by way of fresh food. At least not at the moment. She'll offer some of her rations to G'nichi. Dragon people eat the same sort of food men do, right? Fenris is assuming here that's the case.

Then?

A phone!

Fenris takes it gently. "It looks like a slate."

Then, poking at the little ridges sticking out of the side, she manages to turn it on. Now the screen is lit up at she gazes at it curiously!

"It's like a scrying mirror?" she asks curiously, uncertain if she should touch the glowing part or not. "Or linked scrying mirrors. Obviously a construct. Is it powered by a soul gem? Or something more exotic?"

She's guessing it's probably something more exotic.

[Deathkeeper]

ABAJ - ??

G'nichi nods a little shakily.
"Well, alright. I'll just try to ignore those when we see them. So, what's the plan? Up? Down? We're just trying to separate our enemy from their goal? Or am I trying to stab someone?"
Given that he was brought in stabbing is likely in his future either way.

An Improbable Adventure

"It's powered by electricity. There's no magic in its function or construction. In theory, I haven't visited the factories." G'nichi explains.
He flinches a bit. Soul gems sound like a bit of a screwed up thing to be a normal power source.

[Morty]

[Wastelands Campsite]

"There are things out there in the dark..." Olvisin fights to stop her teeth from grinding at the itching. "And where's their leader? Spread out, stop scratching yourselves and secure the area," she tells the other goblins.

[Chaotic Bob]

[ABAJ - ???]

Mari only seems slightly sympathetic to G'nichi's discomfort on this point, but then again...her situation is worse.

Onwards to planning.
"Going up won't help us much, as best I can tell it just kinda...goes on forever. Downwards takes us past the holdings of past dreams, and eventually the bottom of this place. At the bottom is our scary enemy, along with whatever she's got set up down there.

From here, we have a few hypothetical buttons to push, based on things she's using and wants.
She's drawing from past dreams, so if we can mess with that I'm sure it'll do something. Probably make her mad.
This cavern itself is the god-thing she wants, but I'm not sure how to do anything significant to it that would bother her.
Every time I've seen her doing anything significant she's carrying around this magic book, which might mean taking that away would accomplish something.
Let's see...and the one time I went down to the bottom myself-"
There is a regretful flick of the eyes to the shoulder stump where her other arm used to be.
"She had some pretty complicated looking crystal device she was working on. Bet breaking that would be a problem."

[Deathkeeper]

ABAJ- ??

"Past dreams? Like, the basins? That might be one of the only things we can mess with without getting too close to her. If we find this book or this crystal we can certainly focus on those." He sticks Gladius on his belt to pick up the greatsword again.
"Think you can lend me those energy beams again, friend?" he asks it.

[Ironsmith]

[Wastelands Campsite]

The goblins comply (with spreading out, not refraining from scratching themselves) and find more of the vampires littering the ground. One of them finds Maldwyn lying on his side, his staff a few meters away from him. Another finds Skuld, still standing with her arms spread, facing the cave wall.

"Um... boss?" A goblin standing on the other side of Skuld calls back. "I don't think there's going to be a fight." He reaches forward and gives Skuld a gentle push, sending her toppling onto her back.

And making that hole in her chest plainly visible to everyone in the cavern.

[Chaotic Bob]

[ABAJ - ???]

"Well, she'll be holding the book probably and near enough to her device, so those will be...fun targets. I don't know how much I can really help in a fight, but I'm sure I can figure out something useful to do."
From where she's seated, Mari gestures at one of the currently-opaque basins nearby.
"This entire place is just an endless stream of dreams, I guess. These ones haven't run their course yet. Every one below the one you fell out of has ended. Those are what she's doing whatever she's doing with. You could try breaking them, but I have no idea what will actually happen when you do."

As G'nichi sheathes the smaller sword, the presence looming over his shoulder demurely lessens to just shy of unnoticeable. Still there when needed, but staying out of the way.
The larger sword seems resolute, evidently determined to support G'nichi in whatever it can. It remains leery of any engagement at all here, but that's probably not avoidable now, is it?

[Deathkeeper]

ABAJ - ???

G'nichi walks over to one of the active basins. He pokes at the side of one but they don't seem likely to tip.
"If each one is a set of copied souls in a game, breaking it would release them, wouldn't it? Or kill them. I'd rather not do the latter, really. I'm not sure if releasing the souls would help, either. I'm no mage..."
This doesn't sound like something he has any experience with. And from the sound of it, one of his swords is mostly experienced with fighting monsters. Gladius seems to know about curses and necromancy. G'nichi touches her hilt and mentally asks her if she knows anything about soul-magic and how these basin-prisons might work.

[Chaotic Bob]

[ABAJ - ???]

"They're little tiny realities, so I guess the question is if the things inside go away when it breaks, or if they're ejected. Between you and me, we've got some evidence that things can be ejected, but not if that's normal..."
And they weren't really ejected, they left on their own.

And rightly assumed, the greatsword has absolutely no useful input here. It seems confident in the breaking part, but nothing on the after.
The other weapon however...

The presence lurks just a little bit closer again.
"I lack much knowledge in godly workings such as this, but I can offer a theory. Truly self-contained worlds seem likely to simply disappear when the magic governing them is broken. I would expect a god's dream to be something close to reality, but lacking in truly enduring substance on its own.

However...as evidenced by your own body now, coming in contact with true reality seems to give or confirm permanence. These unended dreams would likely erase their contents upon being destroyed. But if your foe is actively interacting with prior dreams, they may accordingly be 'real' enough to survive the destruction, in whatever form that would be.

This is...a very unique situation. I'm sorry, I can only speculate."

[Deathkeeper]

ABAJ - ???

G'nichi stares into the basin before shaking his head.
"I don't think I'm ready to start risking souls' destruction for no real identified benefit. We'll focus on taking out these artifacts instead. Even if I pulled the copies of the villagers out I don't think many of them would be terribly useful in a fight surrounded by curse-fog." He's fairly sure Nemeth had actual magic and Jeb probably owned a gun but that wouldn't help against the mist.

[Chaotic Bob]

[ABAJ - ???]

There's an argument to be made for the souls' ephemeral, constrained little existences probably not being a huge loss in the grand scheme of things, but it seems everyone here has too much tact or heart to mention it.

The gladius-presence does have another thought though, though it is presented somewhat...hesitantly.
"Perhaps they are not so threatening as they are. The already dead, though, we can still turn into weapons. It is not the most comfortable idea, but if your opponent is as accomplished a necromancer as they appear, it would benefit us to turn their own weapons against them."

[Deathkeeper]

ABAJ - ???

What, you mean pull the souls in her control out and use them against her? Sure, but you're asking a lot of me. Especially when we're working on almost zero intel on what we're dealing with, AND I have no idea how to do what you're describing. G'nichi responds to the gladius' suggestion. She seems very nice but he's kind of noticing a theme here.

[Earl of Purple]

Wastelands Camp

"Well, that be... disappointin'." He'll have a poke at the bodies, too, trying to find Horace. The man was kind enough to bury him, though he was an enemy and had betrayed them as well. Least he can do is return the favour, if it's needed. He slings the swivel gun over his shoulder, freeing his hands but making it harder to fire the small cannon if they get in trouble.

[Morty]

[Wastelands Campsite]

Despite the implied lingering danger, Olvisin feels really awkward (also itchy).

"So we arrived only to find everyone dead already. Great. We need to drag them out of here, but whatever did this might still be here. Stay alert."

[Ironsmith]

[Wastelands Campsite]

It'll take Frigate a while to find Horace; he's closer to the back of the cave, in a similar state to Skuld, his chest torn open and heart conspicuously absent. In searching, Frigate's going to find a few other familiar faces, as will the goblins.

Aria, the singer? Dead.
Shaddrick, the suitor Frigate sent after her? Dead.
Lyn, Alun, Tristan, three of the four knights who fought the goblins? All dead.
Lord Maldwyn? Dead.
Lady Skuld, very much dead.
Horace? Dea-

Horace's arm surges up to grab Frigate's forearm, a ragged gasp tearing it's way out of him. Unlike many of the others, Horace's chest is still intact, but he doesn't seem to be strong enough to stand... or maybe he simply can't, as his leg is trapped under a boulder about half Frigate's size. He looks up at the warforged in surprise; last time they saw each other, he was burying Frigate's presumed corpse. "M-master Fr-frigate?" He coughs. "You... you're alive?" Despite the circumstances, he doesn't seem to be able to hold back a smile.

[Earl of Purple]

Wastelands Campsite

"Got a live 'un here! Horace, aye, I live. Me head be mostly decorative. Thank ye f'r buryin' me. What 'appened 'ere, eh?" Frigate waves at the goblins, hoping they can see him. He'll judge the size of the rock, and if it's alone or part of a rockfall. If it's a rockfall, he'll leave it, since he doesn't want to risk it collapsing further.

[Morty]

[Wastelands Campsite]

Some goblins come running, including Olvisin.

"That doesn't look good. But if we can get this rock off him, he could make it."

"I'm a little more concerned about the state of the dead ones. What with the lack of hearts and all," another goblin comments.

[Ironsmith]

[Wastelands Campsite]

The rock is isolated, and seems to have been placed there rather deliberately; it's nowhere near any of the ceiling holes it should logically have come from.

"We were attacked... close to dawn..." Horace coughs. "Three of them. F-fiendlings. They blasted holes in the cave... to weaken us. Their leader slaughtered us, barely slowed down for Lord Maldwyn and Lady Skuld..." He inhales sharply as a fresh wave of pain wracks his body. "I was lucky. The moroi broke free before he could finish me off."

[Shadowcaller]

[A Hunter must Hunt Kows]

Mimi hovers next to Anika and looks at the great beast with awe. "Are those kows?" She whispers, just barely loud enough for Anika to hear. The challenge she issued seems much more serious now. How could Anika actually fight such massive metal beasts?

[Fort Aegis Resort]

"Um, y-y'know, I don't know exactly when they're due to start talking." Sylvess admits, awkwardly, scratching at his snout. "I don't know exactly how old I was when I started talking. They sometimes try to take after me and roar like a proper dragon, a-and it just comes out as a squeak. It's cute."

Fort Aegis Resort

Spako reaches up to gently poke Sylvess' nose that he's scratching so intently.
"To be fair, if it's cute it sounds like they're taking after you excellently.
But yes, we don't really know how quickly they'll develop. Especially with their mixed heritage." All they do know is that Hiedie probably shouldn't have those horns so quickly.

[Temple Site]

Well, what exactly Jaccalish has lost over the countless years is less important to them, unless it makes a difference to the Jaccalish now.

"We consider it the most likely case, but by no means certain." Nathan answers. "It's possible that the answers are not in the physical realm at all, but that is all we have to use to understand."

They gesture in a swirling motion.
"What do you mean by establish yourself in a world? One that is not frozen and dying, yes, but what is needed? When will you be ready? It sounds like a ... a goal that could easily shift."

[A Hunter must Hunt Kows]

Anika, once again enveloped in a mystical green cloud, changes back into her humanoid form. "No, that's... gotta' be demons of some kind!"
She pauses, the sound of what's apparently metal demons only coming closer.

"This means one thing." She turns to Mimi. "We have to save the kows!"

The druid gestures to the side. "So new plan, we sneak past the demons and find the kows. Then we'll free them and let them out into the woods. That way they won't serve some evil demons." She nods to Mimi. "Sounds good?"

Fort Aegis Resort

'Mixed heritage' was putting it mildly considering they were all of different colors. "Yeah, they all appear to be different types of dragons. I don't suppose you know what types? I know that other dragons I've talked to have put a particular value to the color of their scales. They acted as if the color alone would tell you a lot about a dragon and their personality. Do you believe in that sort of thing?" They didn't act like they did but she still wanted to pose the question to see their reaction.

[Temple Site]

"It means..." Jaccalish makes a longer pause. "We suppose we can tell you. Long have our people sought a world but it have only brought misery. Both for us and the inhabitants of the world we visit. Turns out establishing yourself anywhere can be quite difficult. But then we found the nexus and in it we saw an opportunity. Unfortunately, the rest of our kind followed us here and violence followed in their wake." They shake their head. "Pointless. But after all this time we have researched the nexus and learned how it works. So now we just need to have it work in our favor as we intend to bring our world here and not the other way around. We believe this will benefit all of us, even you." They gesture towards the two 'angels'.

[Gullara]

[A Hunter must Hunt Kows]

This just got exciting! Mimi nods, but then frowns. She points at Anika, up and down. "You're so big and purple. How're you gonna hide from those big things. They'll spot you for sure." She points out.

[Earl of Purple]

Wastelands Campsite

"Where be th' Moroi now? An' who be fiendlin's? I be unfamiliar wi' th' term." Frigate will provide any brute force necessary to release Harold's leg, as directed by the goblins who have far more experience with caving and rockfalls than he does. He doesn't notice the unusual nature of the rock, that it was placed rather than fell naturally.

[Morty]

[Fort Aegis Resort]

"Little dragons trying to roar and squeaking sound cute, I admit," Thariza says, her ears flicking with amusement. "Do dragons put a lot of importance of scale color? Elder Dragons are all different, I figure, but they're more different than just in color. And I've only ever seen one. Indirectly. Since otherwise I'd be a lot more spiky and purple."

[Wastelands Campsite]

"Moroi? Were they in those wicker containers? Are they going to come back here?" Olvisin asks as several goblins insert metal rods under the rock to lift it and pull Horace out.

"This rock didn't fall on its own. Someone pinned him down with it," Kuvesh says.

[Ironsmith]

[Wastelands Campsite]

"Come back?" Horace groans as the boulder is lifted off his leg. "Can't you see? They're still here."

It's about this time that one of the goblins, most likely one of the smaller ones, will lose consciousness. (S)he will fall into one of the shafts of light peeking into the cave, revealing an alarming amount of blood leaking from their pores.

[Earl of Purple]

Wastelands Campsite

"Nay, we not see 'em. How c'n we fend 'em off?" Frigate's cannon is still slung, but he's suddenly holding both of his pistols and looking around rather frantically. His eye does glow, but he doesn't have blood or any other fluids within, except possibly some water trapped within his mechanism somewhere. He's not waterproof, though he can operate when submerged or otherwise wet.