From the journal of Kenari Sanura
I leap over the others as they are pulled along with Word and manage to shoot it with my Dragon Pistol before it disappears again. With a disheartening clang I realize that bullets once again aren't going to cut it. Seriously… I need a gun in a fight, I don't have one. I have one, I don't need one. The Gods and I are going to have to have a talk one of these days if they can refrain from any more silence spells.
I quickly holster my gun and slip my hands into my clawed gauntlets as I rejoin the others who are getting to their feet. It leaps out at us again, but not before Vedis pushes out with her hand and launches it up into the air for Lenata to shoot with balls of light that shoot from her finger.
It whines almost like an injured dog before it disappears into the mists and I hear the clanging of claws against metal. Crap….Word! I pour on an extra burst of speed as I zero in on the sounds of battle. I manage to see Word grappling with the beast before I growl loudly and leap at the both of them with my claws. With a grunt Word manages to turn the creature my way to take the full force of my pounce as my feet slam into its torso and my claws rip at its face. I then push off off with an acrobatic flip to land on my feet and prepare for my next attack. Thankfully it looks like we're finally doing damage to the thing with our bladed weapons.
Ef Utan leaps out of the fog with a yell wielding his katanas, but unfortunately his injured shoulder hindered his attack just enough for the creature to grab his arm and throw him aside… and off the edge of the rock. Okay… now I am glad they are still tied together. I can hear him grunting in pain and frustration as he starts pulling himself back up.
With a pulse of energy two psi blades form in Vedis' hands and she throws them into the torso of the creature with a satisfying yell as Word continues to grapple it. I roll out of the way of its swinging clawed appendages and swipe at it with an uppercut from crotch to neck before stabbing it in the neck with my other gauntlet, and then quickly get out of the way as an angry Ef Utan comes up behind me to run his sword through its side.
With a yelp the creature disappears in a wisp of foul smelling gas and the fog finally begins to dissipate.
"What in the 9 Hells was that thing?" Ef Utan asks as he wipes his blade on his breeches and sheaths his sword.
"A Hound of Tindalos," Word answered. "They are vile creatures from nightmares who come into our world through the angles of reality."
"Angles," Lenata repeated worriedly as she looked around at the jagged rocks covering the asteroid we're on. She then shakes her head and goes over to Ef Utan to heal his shoulder as much as she can.
"Well… there's no point in waiting around to get attacked again, right?" I speak out as I check my guns and make sure they are all loaded. "What say we get proactive and try to focus on getting out of here?"
"What do you suggest?" asked Vedis. "There's not a whole lot around here."
"But there is that," I reply as I point back at the large dome. "I'm sure it's a trap of some heinous nature… but really, I don't see any other options here."
Walking around the edge of the dome we manage to find a strange shaped circular door. A quick check revealed no traps, so I carefully open the door and step to the side in case anything wants to come out. After a few moments there is nothing but silence and the smell of rotted fruit and meat, however.
Lenata has the better night vision thanks to her heritage, so she volunteers to check the dome first. She gingerly steps into the dome to find herself ankle deep in mist and squishing mud. "I don't like this… I'm getting a really bad feeling here." She then rears back out of the dome and grabs her head in pain as I throw my last thunderstone into the dome and close the door.
Once Lenata and the rest are ready I open the door to find myself face to face with the ghostly image of a well-dressed Scro who promptly puts his arm through my chest. I rear back and fall to the ground as I am overcome with images of a disappointed Bast trying to crush me underfoot.
"That isn't me anymore!" I yell out as I writhe in pain on the ground. Oh Gods it hurts…once I relied on you to tell everyone that I was worthy of love and respect, Bast… but no longer! I am worthy in my own eyes now!
"Damn, it's an animated dream!" Vedis yells out as her hand begins to glow and she rips into the image of the Scro. It howls and screeches in pain as Ef Utan attacks it with his swords and Lenata enchants her guns for the next attack.
I finally make it to my feet and wield my claws as I manage to shake off the last of the feelings of helplessness that the Scro induced in me. With a growl I pounce and claw at it as Vedis strikes its other side with her psi blades. We then step back as Ef Utan lunges at it with his swords. The Scro absorbs part of the strike and steps back with its weapon. "In the name of Dukash!" it yells.
"In the name of Celestian!" Lenata retorts as a wave of positive energy flows through us all and causes the Scro to scream.
The battle is long and hard as we trade blows back and forth with the Scro nightmare. Things turn for the worse when the creature plunges its hand into Vedis and black energy flows over her body, causing her to writhe in pain.
Little did the creature know that when one of us suffers the rest of us take up the slack with extreme prejudice. With renewed vigor we attack the creature with blade and magic until it finally begins to dissipate. The face of the creature is the last to go, and it uses its last moments to speak in odd-phrased Orc:
My people aren't patient, I shall teach them patience.
My people are cowards, I shall teach them bravery.
My people think of today, I shall teach them of tomorrow.
My people dwell in blood, this requires no teaching.
We all gradually make our way into the dome through the mushy ground and slime. The room is so large that we can't see the other side… definitely much larger on the inside than it was outside. Lenata picks up a stone and mutters a few words before it glows with a warm light that illuminates our immediate area.
"Word, since I'm able to see in the dark, maybe it would help if you could take me up so I can get a bird's eye view of this area?"
"Your suggestion sounds reasonable," Word replies as he helps Lenata perch on his back and flies up into the air.
We suddenly hear a slithering in the darkness and while the others draw their weapons, I decide that hiding might be a good idea right about now. Is that a rustling of wings I just heard? Something ripples in the muck as there's a thump and skittering in the dark. I try and slow my breathing and keep to the shadows as I hurry as much as I dare along the wall to find an exit.
"Do you smell smoke?" Ef Utan asks Vedis when there's a loud screeching noise and the head of a gigantic praying mantis looms out of the dark.
"Run!" Vedis yells as Ef Utan tosses the light rock away and runs. Fortunately the mantis seems to be attracted to the light, as it ignores them momentarily as it flails around digging for the rock. Unfortunately, it manages to strike Word in its attempts and sends them flying to the mushy ground in my direction.
"Hurry, this way!" I whisper to Lenata as she stumbles to her feet. "I think I found a crack in the wall!"
"Word isn't moving!" Lenata moans as she kneels over the prone Psiforged and chants to her god for help.
I keep a nervous eye on the mantis and gasp in fear when the light stone goes out. "Come on! MOVE!" I yell as I grab Lenata and the now moving Word and shove them through the crack. "This way!" I yell and wave to the others before I jump through. Gods, please let them make it! The walls shake from the strikes of the angry mantis as Vedis and Ef Utan stumble through the rubble to join the rest of us in a new room.
Looking around I see that there are thankfully no more giant bugs in the room. There is a rather large and suspicious looking well in the middle of it, though. I cautiously make my way to the side of the well lest I wake whatever might be down there and read some ancient writing inscribed on the sides that seems to be a combination of Draconic and Ancient Imaskari. Strange… what would an ancient magic race like them have been doing here?
I'm able to pick up a few words here and there… mostly about the "Portal Lord" and an "Endless Dream." It's not till I reach the other side that I gasp. "The Imaskari were the ones who created Mulhorand?" I definitely have to read more about this race! As I make my way back around the well I encounter some language that I just can't make out.
"Lenata, I think this is magical writing here. Can you decipher it?"
She clasps her hands together and mutters a phrase before her eyes begin to glow. "Let me see."
After a few moments of perusal her eyes stop glowing and she turns to the rest of us. "There is a dimensional effect in action here… very high magic."
"Dimensional effect… you mean a portal?" I ask eagerly. Lenata nods. I then carefully lean over the side of the well and defocus my eyes just enough to see the glow of the portal energy around the entrance to the well. I concentrate for a few moments and the words flow into my mind. Jump into the portal without fear when the Portal Lord is asleep! A vision of a large circular room with brass lamps and a sleeping figure encased in a smoky crystal comes to my mind.
"Well, it looks like all you have to do is remove fear from your heart and jump in!" I tell the others with a smile and take a step back up onto the edge. "It's got to be better than here!" I say as I salute the others and turn to look into the darkness of the well. "Adventure a-waits!"
…and with an excited whoop I am gone.
After the feeling of tearing and stretching of my being that I have to admit I am starting to get used to, we exit the portal in the side of the circular room I saw and slide unceremoniously down the curved wall into a pile in front of what looks like a scene out of a bedtime story. Before us is a stone pedestal surrounded by brass lamps and cloying incense… with an odd sleeping figure upon it. Odd, because I've never seen anyone like him before. He almost reminds me of the Dvati, but also seems Elven. His skin is stony, and his hair and clothes are both long, flowing and black.
As I look closer at the pedestal I can see an inscription. Further study reveals what I think is his name: Kari Sunken Saruh and the words He who can turn the planes to his own will . Could this be the "Portal Lord" that the inscription spoke of? If so, chances are we better not wake him up, or else we might not get out of here again.
"He seems to be effected by sleep and preservation magics," Lenata offers as she studies the smoky crystal surrounding him.
"I guess he won't mind if I check out his stash then," I say with a grin as I find a secret compartment along the other side. "Ooo… must be good," I mutter to myself as I disable the tiny phase dart inside the lid. My eyes widen even farther as I open the drawer. "Well lookie here… a puzzle box! I haven't seen one of these since I was a child!" I turn it over in my hands as I look at the intricate patterns until I notice a small crack under one of the reliefs.
"Aha!" With a press of the relief the box twists and turns upon itself till it opens and reveals…. a very old book bound in grey hide with brass and silver fittings. I mentally slap my hand as my first instinct was to open it and immediately start reading. Bad kitty… check for traps first! Lo and behold… the pretty thing had a rather nasty fireball spell inscribed on the latch. "Shame on you, mister… knowledge should be shared, don't you know that?" I scold the sleeping figure.
"What did you find?" Ef Utan asks as he and Lenata look over my shoulder curiously.
"Well, from what I can tell," I say as I carefully scan through the pages, "this book is called Lessons of the Amethyst Sodality and seems to be about 'trans-dimensional penetrative dweomers.' I could be wrong… but I think in plain speak they mean 'spells that work with portals'?" I look over my shoulder at Lenata and can practically see her eyes light up with excitement.
"May I read it?" Lenata asks with barely restrained excitement.
"Just make sure you pass it over when you're done," Ef Utan jokes. "In the meantime, I suggest we set up camp. There doesn't seem to be anything here but our sleeping friend, so this may be the only chance we get for a while."
"I'm going to see if I can pick up any surface thoughts or information from him," Vedis replies.
"Just make sure you don't touch him," Ef Utan says before he pulls out a scroll of Vigilant Slumber and casts it. "Just in case he wakes up before we do," he offers before setting out his bedroll and getting comfortable.
Eventually books are put away and everyone but Word and I get some rest. These days I truly am grateful for that ring I found so long ago now… because I'm not sure I'd like what I might dream about. It's as I'm trying to shake the visions of Bast out of my head that I notice something odd out of the corner of my eye… red specks forming in the wall. I crawl on my hands and knees over to the wall and take a closer look as the specks get bigger and begin to form a hieroglyph…. a hieroglyph of the letter K. Rearing back in shock I reach out and grab Words arm.
"Do you see that?" I ask him nervously. I then crawl over to Lenata and shake her. "Wake up, cleric! You need to make the ghosts go away again!"
"Hmmn…what?" Lenata mumbles as she wipes the sleep from her eyes. "Okay… give me a minute."
"Kenari's description seems to be correct," Word tells the others as they begin to wake up. "Something that seems to be like blood is forming names in the wall."
"So make it go away already!" I exclaim as I notice that an E has now formed after the K.
Lenata closes her eyes and concentrates, and moments later a positive wave of energy radiates from her through us and into the walls. Thankfully it seems to have the same effect as it did on our ship… as the writing has disappeared.
"Strange," Ef Utan mutters as he investigates the wall through his Void Lens.
"What did you find, Ef?" Vedis asks.
"While the blood writing has gone away… it seems that there is another kind of writing all over these walls. I can't tell what it is, though."
"Ooo… let me see, please!" I ask, eager to have something else to distract me. I quickly scoot over to him and take his Void Lens. "Amazing," I mutter after a few minutes. "The walls seem to be covered in Ancient Imaskari… almost like this whole room is a journal of what they did here!"
"Um…hey… guys?" Lenata mutters nervously. "It seems that when I got rid of that spirit it kind of… I don't know… weakened the structural integrity of this whole room?"
The others look around and notice that the plaster of the walls is starting to crack and flake. Me… I am too absorbed in the text. If we are going to have to leave here, I want to know as much as I can first! Besides… it may offer some knowledge on how to get out of here anyway. As I scan through it I find a rather interesting passage that makes me gasp in excitement… for they are describing a ritual where they created the Dream Stone! From what I can grasp, they lost many of their people in the making of it, and tried to remove it when they noticed the side effects starting to affect the sphere. When the orbits stopped they even tried to leave… but I can't quite tell if they made it or not.
"My mending spells aren't helping!" Lenata shouts out as she runs her hands along the wall.
"All I can see is the color green through the cracks," says Vedis. "Do you think we're in the green pyramid sun? If this room falls apart… are we going to be in space?"
"There's only one person who can answer that," Lenata answers as she walks up to the pedestal and touches the smoky crystal around the sleeping figure, causing it to disappear with a small fizzle. She stands back quickly as the sleeping figure opens his eyes and sits up.
Oh crap… think fast, Kenari! I hurry over to the groggy Imaskari as he asks how long he's been asleep and do my best to explain to him in his language who we are and what we're doing here. I wince inwardly as I notice his reaction to the knowledge that I am from Mulhorand.
"Why did they send a slave?" He asks angrily as he grabs me and lifts me up into the air as he stands to his full height.
"I am not of the Mulhorandi people, oh Lord… I was kidnapped by them and forced to be a slave!"
He grunts in response and tosses me to the floor before walking up to the cracking walls. With a wave of his hand the walls shatter and fall away to show shining green space with black wisps of fog strewn through it. He stares at it intently and grows silent… so I take the opportunity to quickly and quietly return his book to his pedestal. I just hope Lenata got to read enough of it.
Okay… the Mulhorandi people were slaves to the Imaskari. If that's what it takes to keep this guy happy till we get out of here…
"Is there anything we can do for you oh Lord?" I ask meekly as I kneel beside him.
"You came here with a ship, yes? You will take me to it so that I may return to Imaskari."
Shit. I mutter a prayer to any god that is listening that I can survive the next few minutes. "Imaskari fell almost 10,000 years ago by our time, oh Lord." I swear I can hear his knuckles cracking as he clenches his fists.
"You will still take me to your ship," he states coldly as he turns to me. "Where did you leave it?"
I hurriedly try and describe the Egyptos city as best as I can and gesture to Ef Utan for the map that the EIN gave us. "Here, oh Lord, on this planet," I reply as I point to the map.
He grunts in acknowledgment and waves his hand over us… and suddenly we're back in front of the Great Pyramid.