A/N: Thanks to everyone who helped with my Haer'Dalis problems! This chapter was just refusing to be written, and is still not completely satisfactory, but will do for now -- the Planar Prison has so much potential within it, but I'm finding my own impatience for getting on with things, combined with a whole bucketload of RL stuff, making me drag my heels for writing about it :(
General disclaimer: I own nothing, even Maiyn generally decides her own path.
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The Performers and the Prison
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"Raelis... Raelis Shai?"
The woman Coran addressed looked around from her own company, raising an inquisitive eyebrow at the strangers. Her youthful face was attractive, but years of experience seemed to shine from her eyes, almost threatening to betray her true age. Wispy auburn hair fell smoothly down her back, neatly carried away from her face by a simple green band that matched the fabric of her plain dress. The elf noticed several rings adorning her thin hands as she wrung them, seemingly nervous.
"That is I... how may I help you? I am afraid if you are looking for our next performance, I can only tell you that circumstances have arisen which have prevented us from playing here any further."
"No -- no, we are here to see you on behalf of a friend of yours," said Coran with a smile. "A gnome named Quayle? He received your correspondence and asked if we would visit, offer our assistance if we could."
Her eyes lit up at the name and relief flooded her face. She stepped forward, leaving behind the rest of the troupe -- one other girl and three men -- taking Coran's hands into her own. "Thank you for coming," she said warmly, offering a smile to the others. "But I am afraid that our plight has grown much in the time that has passed since my initial letter to my dear old friend -- we are to leave the city immediately."
"Is there nothing we can do?" asked Nalia. "What is so bad that is causing you to depart so suddenly?"
Raelis smiled wryly. "Sometimes there are people who do not appreciate the finer points of the theatre -- our play is not without critics, but some are more... determined regarding their distaste than others."
"You had a bad review, and so now you flee?" sneered Edwin. "(Pathetic. But what else would I expect?)"
One of the other actors -- a tall, slender man with blue hair, regarded the Red Wizard with open curiosity. His features were enough to suggest to Coran that the man possessed tiefling blood. The elf had previously only had one encounter with such a person, and he could remember her vividly from the dark nights in Baldur's Gate...
"Such an accusation from one so grand, my red-cloaked sparrow-hawk," he said in a sing-song voice. "If only you were part of our troupe, we would have no need for any other -- for you would act as the lead, and the supporting cast with veritable ease!"
Edwin scowled fiercely over as Raelis stepped forward, carefully patting the man on the arm. "Enough, Haer'Dalis," she said soothingly. "It is time for us to go -- we must get into position." Her eyes fell to Coran. "We will be summoning a conduit, seeking another plane to visit."
Coran gave her a carefully blank look. "A what?" he asked, ignoring Edwin's snorts.
"A conduit. This playhouse in which we stand is property of the Sigil Theatre Troupe, which is to say, myself and my company of fellow actors."
"The city of Sigil which lies upon another plane of the multiverse or, more appropriately, upon a hub or node where many of the planes collide," continued Haer'Dalis smoothly. "Are you with us, my peacock?"
Coran shrugged slightly. "Positively entranced. Do continue."
"Yes, well..." the bard frowned as Raelis backed away, taking a gem from one of her pockets and speaking over it until it began to glow softly. The other actors gathered around her, eyes closed and seemingly in deep concentration. "Travel between planes is not the easiest thing, especially into and out of what we call the Prime Material plane -- that is this one which the Sword Coast and the whole world of Faerun is but an infinitesimal part..."
"Yes, yes, we know all this," muttered Edwin.
Haer'Dalis smiled slightly. "Of course. Well, all of this really goes back to a most unfortunate satirical play which we produced while in Sigil. 'A Comedy of Terrors', it was called, and the fact that the playwright wished to remain anonymous should have been sufficient clue."
"Someone objected to it?" asked Nalia.
"Aye, my lark," the blue-haired man nodded. "Little did we know that the sordid tale of lust between two certain planar beings might hold a mirror to the truth. Within hours the theatre was left in ruins and a price was placed upon our fleeing heads."
"(How unfortunate that no one caught up with you.)," came Edwin's mumble.
"'Twas only the Lady of Pain, herself," continued the bard, "Mistress of all Sigil, who through her unplumbed whimsy sent us careening through a portal to emerge where we are now, in this place you know as Amn."
Coran noticed Valygar glaring coldly at the troupe, obviously uncomfortable with all this talk of planar travelling and magical intentions. He coughed slightly and returned his attention to the bard. "I never realised acting was so dangerous."
Haer'Dalis laughed. "Aye, my questioning hounds, one does not satirise Duke Rowan Darkwood, factol of the Fated, and expect to live a life of safety. A wretched cambion hunts us as we speak and has apparently tracked us down to the Prime Material, though he has yet to make his move."
"Where will you go now?" asked Nalia.
"Wherever calls us, my lark," he replied lightly. "Miss Raelis is playing the stone as we speak that our company might slip through our hunter's grasp and find another stage. The play must go on, you know."
"Haer'Dalis," said Raelis, interrupting the quiet conversation. "The stone is ready to begin the summoning. Gather with us." She looked over to Coran. "As the conduits open they may bring beings with them. We will be focussing on finding our correct path, while Haer'Dalis protects us -- but your presence and help here would be much appreciated."
Coran nodded. "We'll do what we can," he said, drawing his weapon free as Nalia and Valygar brought down their bows and Edwin sighed dramatically, making a big show at rummaging through his spell components as he mumbled to himself. The elf nodded silently to Valygar as he passed him, moving to stand near to the blue-haired bard, but the stalker just returned the look grimly, a resolute scowl seemingly stuck on his face. Given half the chance, Coran knew, he'd have turned around and walked away, leaving them to their own fates.
The murmured chants faded and the group became enveloped in a shimmering light that caused their forms to be hazy and flickering. Within moments, mephits and elementals appeared from the portal they'd summoned, quickly brought down by the party. But then something happened -- Haer'Dalis called out in dismay, the troupe returned to focus, and the portal seemed to dim. Four beings appeared, coming slowly into focus as Raelis woke from her trance, staring disbelievingly at the new arrivals.
"Who are you and what business do you have with us?" she asked, seemingly dazed from her experience. One of the men stepped forward, a cruel smile playing at his lips.
"Oh, just an employee of an old acquaintance of yours in Sigil," he said smoothly. He was swathed in dark clothes, and only his face was visible -- sallow skin and small beady eyes combining to give him an unpleasant demeanour. "Duke... what was his name? Darkwood? Yes, Duke Darkwood... that was it, wasn't it? You really shouldn't have done that play, you know…"
"We were set up!" Raelis protested, the other men also moving forward towards the troupe. "We performed it under the assumption that it was fiction! The playwright never told us otherwise!"
"Ah yes, the infamous anonymous playwright," the man replied. "Now who was he, anyway? We never did learn."
"Neither did we..." she sighed. "He wore a mask and met with us in the alleyways. It doesn't matter... Come, my bards. It appears 'tis time to make our reckoning."
The bounty hunter looked over to Coran and his companions. "What of these others? Who are you elf? Surely Raelis did not hire you in the hope that you would save her?"
Coran frowned. "If you want these people you will have to get through me," he warned.
The hunter snorted. "Fool! I don't need to involve you. Already I have the souls of these ones attuned. Let it begin!" On his word, his men surrounded the troupe and a light flared around them as they plunged into the portal, pulling the actors with them as the others watched helplessly out of reach. When the light faded, they were left standing alone in the playhouse, the gateway still hanging in the air but looking duller than it had before. Nervously, they exchanged glances.
"We have to go after them." Nalia was the first to talk, her voice firm and determined as she crossed her arms and gave the men a stern glance.
"It would be the right thing to do," agreed Coran, his voice full of doubt.
"Have we not had enough plane-walking for one lifetime?" asked Valygar with a sigh. "They have brought this on themselves."
"I never thought I would agree with you, woodwalker, but you are correct on this matter. There are much more important activities to be taking up our time," muttered Edwin. "(Studying my new scroll being a prime example.)"
"I can't believe you'd say that!" exclaimed Nalia, staring at Valygar and completely ignoring Edwin. "Well, actually I can -- you've made your views more than clear, on more than one occasion, after all, and heaven forbid we do anything to help someone that will come into conflict with your views-"
"That's enough!" interrupted Valygar tersely, his eyes flashing with annoyance. "I've gone against my principles repeatedly while in this group, and by serving alongside you and the wizard."
"I'm sorry it's been such a chore," replied Nalia bitterly, glaring back with equal ferocity.
"Enough!" exclaimed Coran in frustration. "Will this never end? How do you manage to be so civil to each other for so long, only to come back to the same petty arguments again and again?" The humans just shrugged at him, almost like petulant children, their staring match ongoing until the elf stepped purposefully between them. "Stop it -- both of you. You're even managing to make Edwin look good with this behaviour."
Nalia gaped and Valygar's frosty glance was suddenly directed to him. Edwin also wore a look of indignation. Coran didn't even notice -- he was more worried about the fact he was beginning to sound like Jaheira again. He really had to stop that.
"We're going through," he said quickly, hoping to take their minds fully off their arguing while they were distracted. Quickly he grabbed Edwin, herding him with the other two before anyone could protest, though Nalia managed to wear a look of smugness which only increased tenfold as the Red Wizard was shoved through the portal first, closely followed by Valygar as Coran nudged him in the back and caused him to stumble forward. "Shall we?" he asked, grabbing the girl's hand and swiftly moving into the swirling mass as she was dragged behind him.
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He felt sick and fairly dizzy. It was only lessened by his surroundings coming into focus ever so slowly; a flash of red was enough to tell him that the mage was with him, and the noise of the sure footed landings behind was enough to tell him that the two thieves had arrived as well. The girl gasped, the wizard was muttering and the elf was silent. Valygar Corthala sighed; he'd rather be anywhere than here.
His attention was soon taken to the scene before him; several men standing around, one of them looking badly intimidated as the others laughed and joked. None of them seemed to have noticed the newcomers.
"Listen, you little maggot!" exclaimed a tall man with a vicious looking sword. "I want to know how you got your collar off, right now... or you'll find there are far worse things than being a slave!"
"N-no!" The central figure cowered -- Valygar realised it was a gnome, shaking in fear. "No! I don't care what you say! I w-won't be a slave any more!" One of the men, dressed all in blue, laughed; his gaze idly glancing over to where the party were standing. Immediately he froze, one hand tightening on his bow, the other going for an arrow.
"Well, if that's the way you-"
"T'rael! Hold!" hissed the man in blue. "Others have come through the portal!"
The man named T'rael turned slowly to where his companion had nodded, and he regarded the group carefully. "Ah... the primes. How foolish of you to have followed your actor friends here. Von'ith, close the portal, please."
The blue-clad man made an arcane gesture, and Valygar heard the portal snap closed behind him. T'rael, apparently, was the man who had dragged Raelis and her troupe here -- though Valygar had been forced to follow them almost instantly at Coran's insistence, there was no sign of the actors. The ranger briefly wondered about the shifts of time between the two planes, and how much time would have passed back in Athkatla when they escaped.
"Do you have any idea at all where you are, primes?" T'rael asked quietly. His sword was flashing dangerously in the lights provided by illuminating crystals around them. His men were slowly moving into an aggressive appearing stance; weapons drawn, postures tense, eyes watching them carefully. Valygar's hands drifted towards his katanas.
"Not really..." came Coran's soft, almost drawling, voice. "Just came through for a bit of sight-seeing, really." Valygar couldn't help but roll his eyes -- the elf sometimes had the strangest timing when it came to his so-called 'witty' quips.
"Then you are more foolish than I mistook you for," sneered the bounty hunter. "This is a poor choice for a sight-seeing trip, prime... as it will likely be your last."
"Where are we?" asked Nalia quietly. The man laughed. Valygar noticed the gnome slowly crawling towards the walls, away from either group, sitting huddled against the odd looking material that had been used to construct the place.
"This place is one of the finest prisons in the planes," he said lazily, waving his hand around as he signalled to the dimly lit corridors leading from their current chamber. "There is no way out of here... except at the whim of the cambion. What fools you must be to come here of your own volition."
Edwin's muttering became loud enough for Valygar to make out exactly what he was thinking of Coran at that point.
"No matter," T'rael continued. "I expect you'll bring a grand price from the cambion as new thralls. Hunters... take them!"
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Edwin Odesseiron regarded his surroundings with a less-than-pleased air. The bodies strewn around the ground were slightly detracting to an otherwise interesting concept of decorating, with the use of planar jewels and crystals being used to fuel a soft glow in the windowless room. The result was quite unnatural -- even more so than torches or lanterns, and everything had a slightly greenish tinge when he stopped to truly focus on anything.
He sighed. The two thieves were still rummaging through the bodies of the dead hunters, while the pathetic ranger was kneeling beside the even more pathetic gnome that they'd instructed Edwin not to harm. He sniffed in slight disdain -- the very first order that the insufferable elf had shouted to him was to not fireball anything. And so he hadn't -- having recently... acquired... a spell of Wilting, the Red Wizard was more than happy to test it out in the area. It had worked a treat -- three of the five attackers had dropped dead when they entered the spells effects. The other two -- one man who had not appeared in the theatre and the leader, T'rael -- held back, waiting for the wisps of dust to clear before they sprang forward, while Edwin's three companions gave him what he could only describe as an admirably fawning gaze, one that befitted his status as archmage of this sorry band. The only drawback that he could see to the incantation was that it didn't appear to hurt the elf when he charged blindly into it. Perhaps some further study could remedy this.
The success of his spell didn't appease him though -- he couldn't believe he'd ended up here, with these incompetent simians! The elf had shown exactly how little his brain was when he'd acted before thinking -- or perhaps implying that he was capable of thinking was giving him too much credit. Edwin frowned slightly. Acted before consulting with the great Edwin Odesseiron -- yes, that was much better. He was a master of magic, after all, who probably understood the planes more than any of these assorted monkeys -- the ranger liked to pretend he was knowledgeable about such things, but Edwin knew he was a bluffing buffoon. No one understood how difficult it would be to get back to their own plane -- no one, except him.
Perhaps it was lucky, for them, that he travelled with them. But they certainly didn't deserve his magnificence.
The ranger walked back to them as Coran and Nalia finally finished gathering what they wanted to loot. His face was grim -- but wasn't it always? He was always being overly serious; a zealot to the grave cause, where he could stand off to the side looking dark and brooding. It was almost occasionally a welcome relief compared to the rather flippant antics of the two thieves, but Edwin had been travelling long enough to be able to ignore the dregs of society well enough.
"His name's Tagget," explained Valygar, his arm waving over to the gnome was regarding them somewhat fearfully. "He says he'd removed his collar, and the hunters had found him wandering around the corridors. We arrived just as they'd warmed up."
"His collar?" asked Nalia with a frown.
The stalker nodded. "Apparently, the warden keeps a large number of slaves here -- prisoners that have been turned into thralls by a magical collar that they wear that control them. They are next to impossible to remove."
"Then how did he get his off?" asked Edwin, peering at the gnome. He was an unremarkable fellow -- rather quiet for the kind of vigilante actions he implied he was responsible for, and had he been a slave in Thay, Edwin would have ensured he thought twice about making any bids for freedom. He suspected his current companions may object to that though.
"Some flaw in it," shrugged the ranger. "Says he managed to wriggle out of it, then realised he had, pretty much, nowhere to go."
"(Bah. Such idiocy is the reason that some are born to serve and some are born to be served upon.)" Edwin stopped muttering to register the looks that the others were giving him, particularly Nalia's rather disgusted expression. He frowned slightly. "What? What is it now? (Ugh, these simians -- they stare so openly at my magnificence, and have not even the graciousness to try and hide it.)"
"Well, anyway," said Coran quickly, drawing the others attention away from Edwin as fast as he could. "We can't just leave him here alone if it's dangerous, and he might have more information for us if we're to find Raelis and her band."
Valygar nodded and looked over to the gnome. "It's all right," he said quietly. "These people won't hurt you -- this is Coran and Nalia. And this... is Edwin."
The gnome nodded and smiled nervously to each of them, cowering slightly when Edwin strode over and loomed above him. "The actor friends you spoke of are in the warden's cells, awaiting transport to Duke Rowan's tower, I am told," Tagget said timidly.
Coran nodded and frowned. "Do you have any idea how we get to them?"
"Or, more importantly, how we get out of here?" asked Edwin strongly.
The gnome edged away from the red-robed wizard slightly. "The only sure way out of this planar prison is through the dark magic of the cambion, himself. But I doubt he would transport anyone out of here willingly."
"The cambion?" enquired Nalia.
Tagget nodded. "The warden of the prison. He is not far from here, down this passageway beyond your red friend -- but I would not advise going down that route. There are floor markings that the tanar'ri have left with their magic... portals that transport you to the other rooms of this prison. The ones between here and the warden's room you cannot avoid, and they bring you to the barracks where the warden keeps his personal soldiers and thralls. 'Tis a most dangerous path to take."
"Then what other way can we use?" asked Coran.
"Well... there is another way to reach the warden..." replied Tagget thoughtfully. "A safer way, perhaps, that may serve your purpose, and perhaps mine as well. Might I tell you of it?"
"Go on," nodded Valygar.
"The warden is powerful by himself, true," Tagget began to explain, standing up from his cowering position as the excitement of his plan infected him. "But he is also protected by the many thralls under his control through the collars they wear. There is a way to the chambers of the Master of Thralls... a lesser tanar'ri who holds a device that I know allows him to control the collars. Destroy that device and the thralls are freed. The warden is vulnerable... and I will be able to contact my newly freed friends. Some of them are mages who will teleport us away."
The companions exchanged glances. "I... I would not offer this chance, my Lord," beseeched Tagget, looking at Valygar imploringly, "if I did not think you might have a chance against the warden, himself. I can think of no other way for either of us to escape this place, truly."
"If we can free your friends and they can teleport you out, can we not just sneak past the warden?" Nalia sounded hopeful.
"There are many old and powerful magics in this prison, my Lady," sighed Tagget. "We might get away briefly, but the prison's magic would track us... and the warden would send powerful hunters very quickly. The prison's magic dies with the warden. It is the only way."
"Let's do it," said Coran, nodding to the ranger determinedly while Edwin rolled his eyes and Nalia's brow furrowed with worry. "You can come with us, my gnomish friend, and show us how to get to this Master of Thralls -- we'll do your plan."
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They slowly made their way along the dimly lit passage, following Tagget as he confidently slunk along, pausing when he did to allow Thralls to move away from their path. Coran could see no cells, which caused him a fair amount of curiosity until he remembered Tagget's words regarding the location of the warden's barracks, and the fact that Nalia appeared to have stepped on a patch of the floor that looked... different.
With a shriek, she disappeared -- the noise was enough to herald more voices from further along the corridor, and the sound of rapidly approaching people, intent on investigating the noise, was soon obvious. Tagget called out in dismay.
"The thralls come! They will be compelled by their collars to attack!"
"Where has Nalia gone?" asked Coran loudly, trying to make himself heard over the gnome's whimpers.
"To one of the cells, no doubt," the terrified former prisoner replied. "The slaves there will be collared too, I daresay."
Coran nodded and leapt to the portal, allowing it to open up and swallow him without another thought to their other predicament. His surroundings went dark as he heard Valygar's calls to Edwin and caught a glimpse of Tagget as he crept into a shadowy nook in the corridor. When the light returned, his surroundings were very different -- a fairly large room, lit with bright, white crystals and home to several strange creatures. They had Nalia surrounded, slowly moving in for the kill as she mumbled the words of her spell frantically.
A white glow engulfed both her and the elf, and he felt himself speed up, noticing her dart from her foes and back into the relative safety of the other half of the room. She looked relieved to see him, and he tried to throw her a reassuring smile before readying his sword in his hands and facing off against the closest of the prisoners.
"Don't... want... to fight..." whispered one; a fairly young looking human man who carried a knife that was pointed at the elf. He moved assuredly, but Coran could see him fighting internally -- his eyes shone briefly with regret at the inability to control his thoughts and actions, and his first lunge was weak. Coran easily disarmed him, using the hilt of his sword to knock him unconscious as the rest moved closer.
Nalia's second spell went off, a cluster of missiles hitting one of the taller creatures and causing it to stumble. Coran immediately took advantage, using his extra speed to nimbly duck between the clumsy swings of the prisoners' swords and moving in to finish off their fallen comrade. Almost instinctively he leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding a mace that ripped through the air, the breeze from it blowing past his ear as a signal to how close it was. He spun round, thrusting his sword forward with both hands to impale the aggressor as more cantrips and incantations flew from Nalia's fingertips, injuring the remaining slaves. When the last one fell to the ground dead, Coran rushed over to the young human and began to examine the collar.
"Can we take it off?" she asked fearfully, looking over his shoulder as she approached. He shrugged.
"It has to be worth a try, right?" he asked. "The gnome got his off -- if we can find a way..."
"Here -- let me," she said firmly, pushing him gently out of the way as she knelt down, letting her dextrous fingers run along the bumps and ridges of the collar, seeking something to work on. Coran pulled back a little, watching as she methodically worked her way around, his keen hearing picking up the slight intake of breath when she seemed to find something. Her brow furrowed in concentration, and he found himself staring at her -- he saw her so differently, now, than he had when they initially met. When she was just another girl in need of help, who would go back to her life when the adventurers left. But Nalia had proven him wrong -- she'd lost everything, but rather than give up and accept what others had planned for her, she fought back, taking her life into her own hands -- into her own control. Her inner strength and determination, her loyalty and steadfastness... they were only a few of the things he admired about her.
"Coran?"
He blinked, realising that he'd been staring at her. She was giving him a very strange look.
"Yes?"
"I think I've found something," she said, turning her attention back to the collar. "But I can't seem to find a way to work it loose. I thought... maybe..."
He grinned and nodded, allowing his hands to move down to hers, hearing her draw in her breath sharply as his fingers brushed against hers. She was right, though -- there was a tiny opening that he could barely fit a digit into, and beyond it appeared to be some sort of button...
The man groaned, his eyes flickering as his consciousness began to return. Nalia drew back, casting a worried glance to the elf, but he was too busy with the collar -- so close... The human stirred slightly, his arms and legs shifting as he tried to remember where he was, what had happened. Nalia began to murmur -- Coran recognised the words of a hold spell and continued with his attempts. The button was so close, only a hair's breadth from his fingertips...
"Must... kill..." The man whispered the words so softly that Coran wasn't sure if he'd heard them or imagined them. With amazing reflexes for someone who had just been stunned, the man grabbed a nearby sword, swinging it around quickly as Nalia's hands glowed with a yellow light which spilled towards the two men.
Coran stretched his finger, finally reaching his target and the collar immediately loosened off from the man's throat. A look of horror filled the human's eyes as he regained his own senses and realised what was happening; then to Coran's surprise, he felt his limbs freeze in place, and he could do nothing but wait for the moments to pass as the blade of the sword cut through the air, ever closer.