From the journal of Vedis Valentine
When they referred to this guy living on the edge of time in the deep Ethereal, they actually meant it. Not only was his tower right up against the edge of a portal that went directly into the plane of time, we were told under no uncertain circumstances by our guide not to get sucked into the thing because undiluted, chaotic, swirling time would tear us, our ship, and our minds apart even as it aged us past death into ashes before we could scream about the pain. Although time being what it is, he added, we could be stuck in that instance in our minds for an eternity. We all decided not to try that. Unfortunately, Kenari's vision from the chrono-lily had us doing just that, seemingly on purpose. Still, we're not suicidal so we decided to try to meet with this Aionius guy, first. Lenata once again had to do some fancy maneuvering to keep us right to the edge but not touching the maelstrom.
We knew we reached the correct place when the flickering image of the tower appeared. It seemed to squat right there on its floating rock at the edge of this giant mouth of doom. There was even a spindly-looking staircase that went from the tower to another rock situated even CLOSER to the place that every instinct within me screamed to run away from.
So here we had a conundrum. We were still in the Ethereal, on the edge of time, but the tower where we were supposed to go was only semi-real, or semi-solid. It was still flickering, dammit. We batted ideas back and forth for a while, not really getting anywhere with it. Then it hit me: if time is a plane—for real its own damn plane—then we might, with the right nudging and adjustments, get the planar sails to bring us into proper alignment with the tower and its inhabitants. I spoke without even thinking twice about it. Hey, we were brainstorming, and here's the amazing thing: it actually worked! Kenari did that voodoo she does so well with the sails, and all of a sudden, the tower came into focus and there was a huge shout that went up from those who hadn't passed out from the mind-numbing terror of being so close to rippy havocky madness.
Then the flesh golums came and we let Kenari do the talking, as we do when there's shmoozing to be done. The golums left with the message and then returned to let us know that only three of us were supposed to come meet the crazy wizard who actually chose to live in this godsforsaken place. So Lenata remained behind, being the senior pilot on the boat and it was the kitty, the barmaid, and the bouncer again. I was all ready to go up into the nice, stone-walled tower and get away from the howling and the ticking, but instead they took a turn TOWARD the source of my unrest. I kept thinking 'they can't actually expect me to walk down those obviously unstable stairs, can they?' But yes, they did. The cat and the bodyguard didn't even flinch. Kenari could find her feet on a wet noodle stretched across a moat in a rainstorm, so she just bounced right on down without a care. Ef-Utan only ever shows fear toward the Lady of Pain, so I had no ally in misery there. I swallowed, gripped the rail, and prayed the stairs would hold me.
About halfway down, I saw the guy (Mad Wizard, I presume?) feeding what appeared to be 10' iron poles into the swirling mass of time. You know the saying 'I wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole'? Well, apparently, he would. Then he pulled it out: rusted, twisted, destroyed from where it went in. He studied it for a moment and then tossed it on a pile of similarly twisted poles, muttering 'Hmm, slower by a quarter of a second.' It was then I noticed the fresh pile of unbent poles on his other side and began to relax. This was routine for him. The stairs had been tested and he'd been out her for who knows how long interacting with undiluted time and he was fine. I regained my composure before we reached the base of the stairs and began to stare, fascinated, into the maelstrom. I'm ashamed to say I missed half of what was said, but I'm pretty sure most of it was recap of how and why we got here for the Aionius's benefit. Next thing I know, he's taking us totally seriously and wants us to go into his tower while he figures us out. I tried to tell him that it's been tried before, but you know how wizards can be. So we sit in his nice cozy tower in his library (whereupon Kenari starts drooling at the books) drinking his lovely brandy and being glad that we got here in one piece. That's when I pulled out my diary and started to write and now he's coming back so I'll have to write more later.
…I may as well begin where I left off.
Aionius returned and began telling us of what he'd learned. Apparently, being spirited away to that dismal place by mists had ripped our threads free from the weft of destiny… meaning that we were now like free radicals in the experiment of time. It was all very complicated but the gist of the thing is that whichever way he looked at the events waiting to unfold over the next few months, we all meet our ends in one way or another and that everything was going bad. It somewhat explains why the fortune teller in Ravenloft couldn't quite read our cards right.
Then this guy Murlynd shows up. He reminded me of the dreams of old west cowboys. Kenari had actually heard of him and seemed quite impressed. I, for one, liked his odd way of speaking and his mannerly charm. Apparently, we left Sigil just in time for the Lady to lock the place down—every portal refusing to work, no one in or out—and then proceed with the slaughter. It seems she likes to have to step in and fix things even less than the Magistrates do back on Bral and everyone involved in the fiasco is in for a world of hurt. No wonder they call her the Lady of Pain. Seeing Mindflayers flayed alive in the middle of the street convinced me of that. Apparently, she likes creative and fitting punishments.
After Murlynd made his report of the events in the real world to Aionius, the two of them turned their attention to our presence and the meanings behind it. We spoke about the Spelljammer and everything we learned about the Tenth Pit and their doings in regard to the Dream Stone and the Dream Mage. Aionius mentioned the phenomenon of someone being born in or having a bloodline from a plane and displaying interesting and sometimes terrifying abilities related to that plane, like Lenata is an Asimar and Sapphira was known as a Tiefling. I'm like that, too, and more like the Dream Mage we've been so curious about, being Dream-Born myself. Once that came out, Ef-Utan immediately began asking me questions; apparently he hadn't known about it. Kenari didn't seem surprised. Maybe I'd told her about it during one of our girls' nights. Still, I felt it was an odd connection and bears further consideration while we keep looking for this guy and what he means to the hunt for the Spelljammer.
It seems interesting that Aionius and Ef-Utan came from the same place, too. Same planet (now asteroids), too, only Aionius had left while the cataclysm that destroyed the planet was happening and Ef was born in the one city left standing on its lonely rock. Ayrun came from there, too, so maybe there's something to that place that just breeds wizards and sorcerers… so who knows what we may be capable of if we manage to survive.
Aionius has a plan that he hopes will keep us from dying in the coming conflicts. Here's where Kenari's vision comes in. With the right preparations and spells and the right timing, we're to plot our ship directly into the maelstrom and emerge back in the primes in twenty years' time. That is, if we survive the plunge into it. After that, our chances are about a little over half of actually succeeding at stopping the Spelljammer from being dreamed into existence by the Tenth Pit's plot. So, I'm thinking it's like time being a river and there's this spinning, blade-covered log stretched right across where we're heading. Aionius plans to pick us up out of the river and plop us back down on the other side of certain death. I'm all for that, though in twenty years, everyone I've ever known out there could be dead or moved away. How long do Beholders live, anyway?
Their preparations will take about an hour. Kenari approached Murlynd about sending those of the crew home that didn't want to lose twenty years of their lives to five minutes and wanted to send a letter to Dassam. Apparently, those two grew quite close. I can't imagine having to leave something like that behind. The only ones who would miss me back home are my coworkers and of course, Luigi. I sent a letter of my own to him, letting him know he should go ahead and let out my apartment because I wouldn't be back any time soon. I had already cleared the place out, anyway, and I really don't want to return having to pay twenty years' back rent. Murlynd smiled and said he'd get everyone home who wanted to go and take our letters. I was so proud of Kenari for her thoughtfulness and ashamed of myself for not thinking of the crew when it came down to it. I have to remember that everyone isn't able to just pick up and go at a moment's notice. And now, I feel incredibly lonely, though Kenari has it much worse than I do. She had love and now she has to leave it.
I guess that's why when Ef said "We have an hour…" in that suggestive voice of his, I took him up on it. I really didn't want to die without experiencing the acts of love one more time, and I like him well enough despite our sometimes antagonistic relationship. Lenata joined us and, though it was a little awkward at first, in the end I think we took what comfort we could in each other and our friendship will survive. If we do.
Our hour is up and Lenata's at the helm. I hope, whatever happens, that if this journal has survived and we do not, it will inspire somebody to finish what we started and keep the Tenth Pit from terrorizing the multiverse with the Spelljammer in their control.
From the journal of Kenari Sanura
If you ever meet someone who wants to know what it's like to travel through the Demiplane of Time… feel free to tell them that it's one of the worst experiences you could ever have.
Trust me on this…unless you want to know what it feels like to have your insides turned out and your flesh boiled off?
Yeah…I thought so.
Anyway… believe it or not, we actually made it through. Much worse for wear and needing ship repairs, mind you… but we made it through.
So of course, it only makes sense that we came out the other side right smack into a war.
"Something tells me that the calculations were a little….off…" I say to Ef Utan as he walks up next to me on deck and we witness a vicious space battle between an Elven Warbird and a ship we've never seen before best described as a metal praying mantis.
"Indeed," Ef Utan replies dryly.
Suddenly an explosion rocks the Warbird and a mixture of rubble and bodies floats in our general direction. Amongst the unfortunate elves we just make out some larger figures wearing black and red armor. As one of these figures floats nearer I gasp and turn to Ef Utan, who nods in confirmation; these bodies are Orcs, and very similar to the one that Ef Utan fought in hand-to-hand combat.
"All remaining hands on deck!" Ef Utan yells into one of the communication tubes. "Anyone who is capable, get to the weapons!"
With a flurry of activity we each run to one of the weapon stations and take aim at the Orc ship whose metal arms are trying to tear the wings off the Warbird. I join others with the balista and launch the large bolt at one of the arms, but it seems to do little damage as it thuds into the metal plating with a dull gong sound. Fortunately the catapults seem to be doing a bit more damage. They also seem to have gotten the Orcs attention as a flaming rock launches in our direction.
"Everybody move!" I hear Vedis yell before it slams into our deck with a sickening crunch of timbers and flesh.
I close my eyes and whisper a quick prayer that the sailor finds his way to his god. "Ok… the balista can't affect the hull… let's see how it does against the Orcs!" I yell to the crew as we crank the next bolt into place. The bolt launches with a loud "TWANG" and we all cheer as it impales an unlucky Orc on their deck.
"Eat flaming rocks, bitches!" Vedis screams as her catapult crew launches a flaming rock of their own that rocks the ship and sends Orcs overboard.
Seeing that they are no longer alone in their fight, the activity doubles on the Elven Warbird. One of them comes out on deck to launch a fireball at their attackers, only to quickly fall to an arrow through the throat. Another elf comes out waving his hands in an incantation, when some sort of bullet rocks past us into our hull and rips a large hole through it. I'm about to run to check on the rest of the crew when suddenly I feel a tingling sensation on my skin and my fur tries to stand on end. I barely have enough time to duck for cover before a crackling flash of light launches from the elf's hands and the lightning bolt rips through the Orc ship into what must have been its ammo storage before it explodes.
Cheers rise up from the rest of the crew as we dust ourselves off. I can't help but be a little disappointed, as I was hoping to check out the inside of that ship. We seem to have gone from the one odd Orc we happened to have seen on Refuge to a whole slew of them with ships… and I want to know why.
All desires aside, now that the battle is done it's time to see to the wounded. One of Hatuk's family signals the Warbird and we pull alongside of it to offer our support in helping their crew. While we no longer have Kelson's services as a back-up healer, Aspodel and I with my wand are able to join Lenata on the Warbird while Vedis and Ef Utan stay to tend to our crew and ship.
While using my wand to tend to the lesser wounded, I am able to talk to the survivors and glean that the Orc we saw so long ago was just the harbinger of doom for the Elves… for now a whole race of these Scro have appeared in their ships to wreak havoc and war across the spheres. Even more to my surprise, I find that the ship we're on is actually The Raptor that Aladan and Tavist served on when we met them in Refuge. When I asked about them, however, I discovered that Aladan and his mother are part of the Spiral Fleet, and Tavist hasn't served on the ship for 15 years.
15 years? Yes, I'd say we were definitely a bit off in our travel plans. I have to wonder what that's going to mean for us, though. If this is the war that Aionius wanted us to avoid… should we lay low for 5 years? For that matter… does that mean this war will end in 5 years? Heavy thoughts to contemplate indeed… but for the moment, we still have people who need our help.
When I'm done with what healing I can provide, I find Lenata on the bridge talking with who I assume is either the captain or the next lucky one in the command line.
"We are more than grateful for your assistance to our crew and for your towing offer. If you could take us to the Tears of Selune, we can check in with our fleet and see to ship repairs. We are in your debt."
"We were more than glad to help, commander," Lenata reassures the Elf. "There is one thing you could do to help us, however… and that is to provide information. My companions and I have been in deep space for many years, and this war with the Scro is new to us. Any important events of the last 15 years you can tell us would help us reacclimatize ourselves on our return home."
I won't bore you all with the details of the talk we had with the Elves as we made our way to their rendezvous point… but the following are some of the major things we found out:
While Realmspace is still relatively untouched, Greyspace is now the frontlines of the war between the Scro and the EIN.
Planet Borka in Greyspace no longer exists thanks to Elven priests summoning the wrath of their God in the shape of a fist that crumbled the planet to pieces.
The Scro have taken Spiral. If you are very careful, however, travel in Spiralspace is still manageable.
Bral is still an independent port… much to the irritation of the EIN.
Shou lands have been invaded by Horse Lords.
Gentil Keep (Thay) has been destroyed.
The Pan-Olympic Church had their first Olympic Games.
The Scro resurrected the Witchlight Marauders, and there are rumors of whole planets being wiped out.
During the Battle of Ironpiece there were Gnomes, Scro, Elves, Neogi, and… the Spelljammer.
When the Spelljammer left Ironpiece, the EIN Spiral Fleet, as well as the Scro fleet, took off after it and haven't been seen for several years.
"Waitaminute… what? See what we miss when we're gone for 15 years?" I say in surprise as I playfully smack Ef Utan in the shoulder. "Figures, doesn't it?"
Days pass uneventfully as we glean as much information that we can from the crew and tow the Warbird to the Tears of Selune. About the 5th day into our travels we pick up ships in the distance and stop to see an Elven Armada flanked by two Warbirds. We hail the ship in passing, and the Armada comes alongside of us for one of their officials to board.
"Thank you for your aid in rescuing The Raptor, strangers. we of the Arrow of Justice will escort them from here. In recompense, we offer you a letter of referral to the Elven Embassy on Dragon Rock in the Tears of Selune. If you present this to them, they will see to your ship repairs. Be careful on your way, however, as the Tears have been found as a convenient place for ambush from the Crimson Fleet. Avoid their crimson sails, and your travels should be safe."
We thank the Elves and bit them farewell before continuing on our way to Dragon's Rock. We all agree that information is the goal… but it's hard to get anywhere with large holes in your ship.
A few days further into our travels a scream is heard above decks. Ef Utan makes his way above first to check it out. By the time I get there I see him tossing a rope to a figure floating like a drowned man off the bow… and watching as the rope flies right through him. Suddenly the ship creaks sickeningly and a dark fluid seeps from the walls. I try to run my finger through the liquid to see what it is… but try as I might I can't seem to touch the stuff.
Curious… we go traipsing through the Ethereal Plane with not a peep from our haunted ship… but now that we're on our way to the Elves, they're coming out in spades. Suddenly I hear Ef Utan yell out behind me.
"Look… we can take you to whatever Afterlife you wish if you all would just TALK to us!" And with that he throws the rope on the deck in frustration and storms below decks.
Eventually we make our way to Dragon Rock, a large arrowhead-shaped asteroid covered with cities and ship docks. Once we've peace-tied our weapons and stowed our guns we show our letter to the harbormaster, who points us out to the embassy. Before he leaves, however, Ef Utan tips him some good coin for any tips he can give us for information gathering.
The harbormaster looks to the rest of us standing behind Ef Utan and starts to hem and haw about a place called Lucille's that is good for information. I wonder if he's trying to set us up before it dawns on me what's wrong. I nudge Lenata and smirk as I whisper "Cathouse," into her ear… which causes her to cough as she tries to cover up her laugh.
"Now if you could just tell us the places to make sure we don't go to…" Ef Utan prompts the harbormaster, who then tells us not to go to "The Maze" over by the Vanderboren Estate before he leaves to continue his duties.
We make our way through town to the Elven Embassy, which is more like a beautiful grove of trees with high walls surrounding it. Well… I guess when you're living on a rock in space, it's good to have a reminder of home. You won't see me putting sand in my room anytime soon, though. Once there we present our letter to the ambassador, who makes preparations for our ship repairs and suggests an inn for us to stay in while they are done. While I like the Elves far better than Orcs and Scro, it doesn't mean I fully trust them either… so it relives me when I hear that they will allow Hatuk to stay onboard during the repairs. I just hope that his loyalty to his current employers is stronger than whatever he had with the Elves. What can I say… I like having someone on board who is hairier than me.
After a much needed warm meal and cold ale at the Inn, we decide it's time to figure out what to do next now that the ship is being taken care of.
"Seeing as there is a Seeker library here, I think Kenari and I should check-in with our guild," Lenata suggests.
"Yeah, I'm sure they'd love to hear what happened to us," I chuckle.
"I discovered that there is a Mage Guild here as well," says Ef Utan. "Perhaps they could help me with new spells."
"I discovered that they've got nice beds here," Vedis replies as she finishes her ale and scoots her chair back and stands. "I think it's just a rumor, though… so I'm going to see for myself." She tosses a few coins on the table and with a wave makes her way upstairs to our room for the night.
"So…" I say as I finish up the last of my ale. "Shall we split up and meet back here for dinner?"
"Sounds like a plan to me," Ef Utan replies as we all stand to leave.
I chuckle wryly as I toss some coins on the table. "Let's just call it a good idea. Whenever we call something a plan it inevitably goes wrong."
Lenata laughs and claps a hand on my shoulder as we make our way out the door. "The Gods do have a sense of irony, my friend. So tell me again… what was it like to shake hands with Murlynd?"
On our way back to the docks we see a sight that makes us stop in our tracks. Noticing that an Illithid Nautiloid has pulled in beside your ship is bad enough… but when it's bright pink and covered in garish lights and banners, it's really a mind bender. A scantily clad woman comes out onto the deck and gives us a wave.
"E'llo, lovelies! Afraid Captain Angel and the rest are over at Lucille's for the day… but if you come back later I'm sure we can give you what you need!"
Ef Utan smiles ruefully. "Perhaps another day…" he says to himself as we board the ship and decide to make our way to Waterdeep. Not only will it be a good place to pick up supplies and trade goods, but I should be able to check their portal to Sigil to see if it's still under lockdown.
When we finally make our way to the large human city, we can't help but notice that they're not too keen on Spelljammers anymore. Who can blame them though, what with the war raging around the Spheres. Thankfully the Nomad is equipped for water landings, so we land a ways out and take one of our smaller boats inland to run our errands. While Lenata and Vedis take some of Hatuk's clan over to the Garrulous Grocer, Ef Utan decides to watch my back while I try the portal.
Using what knowledge I've learned about the way these portals work, I have to say that it seems to be in order. There's only one way to find out, though. I take a deep breath and step through the shimmering energy…
… and come out by the same Dwarven merchant we met so long ago on the busy streets of Sigil. When I look around I can't help but notice that things are still a bit tense, however. Once again… can't blame them, especially after what I've seen of the Lady of Pain's crisis-management skills.
While I'd love to ask around for more information, that's not why I'm here… and Ef Utan is waiting for an update. I hop back through the portal with a shrug. "Everything seems to be working ok from here," I say.
"Excellent. Why don't we go wait at the boat while the others finish their shopping," Ef Utan suggests. "I've got a few phrases I'm stuck on in my book…"