TTM & WM Chapter 36: Entry 36, a private fanfic

[08.29: Anabasis]

[Sailing away, under distant suns]

[Trader's Journal: Day 2610]

[Current Dimension]

Yeah, it's on a map, and in the 'to be destroyed' logbook. But not for here. Empty dimension on what's a known 'empty' zone, or least non-civilization present zone according to goblin 'maps'.

[Current Location]

In SPACEEEE! (Heading towards a dimensional breach on a planet)

[Trading Report]

N/A

[Diary Entry]

Day Two of being chased. Now by six spelljammers. Because three wasn't enough apparently.

Yes, we're being chased, most likely anyway. Possibly just being shadowed according by our Captain Maeani, but she expects that group has a 'supply ship' based on the number and the sizes seen on long-range telescopes and the sensors. The fact we're in a giant floating metal spaceship would draw attention and make us a 'worthy prize' – dependent on the senior captain of the ships following us. Not worth the risk of saying hello to try trade when there's odds, they could be hostile. It's the ol' Netherese spelljammer problem – there not all murderous lunatics, but the risks of meeting the murderous lunatics means risking such things is bad.

Also – can't allow ourselves to be tracked back home either. That would be disastrous to say the least.

Still, we have a 'map' of sorts of a handful of these dimension portals, so there's that. Also, the fact I can feel the Boss when on the 'observation deck' and through the Celestial Etherscope. Barely, faintly, and not necessarily in this dimension, but within reach. We have options on transit, several routes potentially leading home, but there are restrictions on one of those as it's got a potential presence there. So, all things considered, I'm taking a middle ground route that brings us nearer to the dimension with the 'feel' of the Pantheon in place there. Even a variant, whatever – it'd be guidance of some sort. Prayers answered and all that.

Largely because they'll catch up to us. We burned hard with the Mimic Drive's sub-lights after we hit this new dimension, pushed them hard. Then they came through and match, and then slightly faster than us. We're hard to miss after all. Or at the very least hard to miss relative to them, and they've clearly got experienced mages aboard as they periodically cloak with magic and that makes tracking them a little harder. Whatever the case Quinn's worked out they are gaining on us, not quickly, but, well, they still are gaining slowly. It's irregular as it's clear they can't maintain max speed always either, and maybe next dimension it'll slow – but, right now, they are gaining. Thankfully we've a very significant lead of about two to three days as a starting point.

Crew are fine, right now anyway. Chao's the main discussion point, over Courtney, over the sudden wedding plans. Decisions been made to have it once this issue's been dealt with (hopefully) and after the birth, as that's days away according to Asa. I run a day-care for adult superpowered children basically. As much as I'd like to do the ceremony now, the fact is we're being chased by goblin and hobgoblin privateers, so, yeah – now's not the best time as they say. Elves less helpful, but they are settling in, sort of, with the associated terror and depression. Babs is handling that at least.

By our estimates we're two days out from the next breach-point, and that's at full burn. We should still be able to maintain good distance at that point. This passes into a known-unknown dimension of 'nothing much' according to Maeani, but for us it leads somewhere beyond that for me. It's a longer way home, but it's a better bet for breaking contact here, and perhaps getting actual prayers answered. We just need to make use of our day or two distance, if we can maintain it, to ensure we break that contact. Kara agrees, so that's the plan, and praise God essentially.

{Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling, ring that phone}

"Can't you just…I dunno, call home or something?"

Deborah 'Debbie' Delphi listen, with amusement, as Mister Mallory 'questioned' Captain Callum as Deborah's commander assembled a crude shrine on the moon of a planet. She loathed the feel of the spacesuit, and the eerie feeling of low gravity and need to protect from the distant sunlight rather than walking in atmosphere and on a world full of life. Magic here was…deadened, dulled, in the usual way of non-living places. Not dead of course, energy flowed, but that feeling where life didn't exist gave it a very drab…lifeless…feeling when she touched it.

Callum's voice was a mixture of amused and exasperated as Mister Mallory stood by the generator and controls for the protective energy shield system "That's what I'm doing Quinn"

"Can't you do it…maybe, ugh…"

"No, Quinn" she heard Callum huff back over the comms "I need to assemble the shrine, and bless the land…magnifying the signal or whatever way you want to think of it"

"Well let's hope it's better than pray the gay away. Maybe you could pray the goblins away?" she heard Mallory ask and she rolled her eyes, bitter memories of another, false, life as an unhappy nun flashing into the forefront of her mind. Deborah had made peace with that now, mostly, even down to deliberately having such 'bedroom cosplay' with Burt and S'tella to break her of the 'habit' as she seen it "Praise Jebbus! Goes aways ebil gobbins!"

"I am not a Christian tele-fucking-vangelist Quinn"

"Thank the heavens for that" Deborah offered "Otherwise I wouldn't be here praying with thee oh Captain mine"

Deborah was all on aboard with worshipping the Captain's God, even if it was a non-human Outsider God. With everything she'd suffered, and the sights of the multiverse, she was all for the soul protection. Especially with her demonic 'father' ever being a potential asshole on the distant horizon if she ever went home, or near his home realm. Azula beside her snorted, but saying nothing, while the other four space suited members of the 'congregation', foremost amongst them Lady Medea, stayed silent as the Captain muttered back "Are you going to keep bothering me while I do the ritual? Are you serious, I need serious faith after…"

"Oh, I believe" Mister Mallory offered back "Pragmatism and Knowledge, sign me up. Told you that ages Callum. I'm just asking questions on clap your hands and make believe….and then poof, Godly Magic! Also, I like shellish, and the bible says bad things about that, let alone the koran and the bacon thing. I really like pig-related products"

"Really Scientist?" Lady Medea's assassin husband queried with well-hidden amusement in his voice "Your divine inclinations are due to barbecue?"

"I'm a pragmatic scientist. I like my Science, I like my bacon, and also fisherman's pie. These are sufficient reasons I think"

Deborah smiled faintly "Okay. Mister Mallory has sold his soul for a…"

"Adequate quid pro que" he interrupted, spacesuit shrugging "It's for the advancement of knowledge! And Science! I believe, don't I Callum?"

"Yeah, yeah" the captain muttered as she watched him carefully finish the crude shrine, Azula actually helping him while learning. Around them a ritual circle had been created, and while it had taken over an hour, they were now near completion "I'm your cleric, I should get more respect!"

"You get that as Captain, Captain" Deborah teased back gently "We are pragmatically easing the tension and stress of such rituals as this. As the Good Book says to use another faith's wording"

She expected that Captain had barred his pregnant wife, and pregnant…mistress? friend? adult ward?...from the situation owing to their pregnancy, as they had clearly wished to attend. Only the largely quiet Batgirl was here, along with an orc named Jurnash from Security, while a dozen more apparently prayed back on the Carrier for a link or such. Deborah understood what the plan was after all, and all of them here had passed the 'test' of believe as it were. Not that her current Deity of choice wasn't straight forward in beliefs, even if the Captain had seemed to fail to grasp such conversations till he bluntly asked for help on the ritual.

Callum huffed in exasperation over the comms, standing up in the sunlit surface of the dead moon, hands together in a ritual manner "Hmm, fine. Done with setup. Now, let us pray…"

[08.30: Anabasis]

[Pick up that phone!]

Kara Zor-El was watching the screens wearily, the relayed images from the Monitor drones deployed behind the Carrier so they could see 'around' the moon they were currently hidden behind. Keeping track of the pursing magic sail ships was vital, especially now they'd been stopped for over an hour now. Hidden from their pursuers point of view, and overall doing systems checks while Callum prayed away, and M'gann stood over on said Carrier 'talking' to the ship. Jenny Quantum was the 'stand-by' for there, but Kara didn't like the young girl being stuck doing that unless they had too as the girl was, finally, starting to have something resembling a normal life again.

'Such as….normal means around here' she thought with amusement as the other display on the bridge of the Fortune's Chance showed the magic praying ritual, in spacesuits, on the moon, her lover was performing. It was very obvious 'normal' had fled the premises for her many years ago unfortunately. But they'd gotten used to the new, crazy, abnormal, normal of ship-life, and seemingly both Jenny and Jinx the ship's 'wards' were happier with that than normal-normal. Because they were crazy obviously, just like the rest of them on this crazy little space-boat.

"They've likely noticed we haven't passed around the moon as we should have" Jonathan offered coming over from the sensor station and motioning at the holographic displays of the five pursuing ships. Tiny things against the vastness of space, but deadly dangerous potential against the lightly armed monstrosity full of innocents they had to protect…and the various Magus they were stuck with totally-not-imprisoning "They've picked up speed again in one of their bursts…and look here, they've spread out, I think they might be trying to look around the moon on all sides"

…and that they had, a cluster of three ships in the centre, but the other two hand broken away unto the 'wings' of either side, clearly getting distances away to probably get a better view. They were still…

"Two days out still?"

"They've gained in the hour, us stopped, them going full speed…less than two days now. Not by much, by less than that" Jonathan offered with a wince "Say…they've gained about three hours on us by Rose and my calculations"

Kara frowned. The data looked right, and that wasn't pleasant to see it edging towards losing more time than they'd have liked in the distance "Yes, looks about right…hmm, they are probably trying to figure out have we cloaked or done something unexpected"

'Which were going to do' she thought before nodding "Which we are going to do when Callum and the others finish up and get back. Maximum we can cloak for is about forty-minutes, we're going to do that"

Jonathan nodded, mouthing a 'Ma'am' before returning to his station as Kara watched Callum stand up on the other screen, hopefully indicating the ritual was over and he had what he wanted. It'd be a very dangerous waste of time if he didn't after all. But Kara trusted him to pull it off, and listened as he communicated back the ship saying he was coming back aboard, and to start moving again as Kara watched M'gann trigger a 'Door' from the Carrier to the lunar surface, and then gaggle of worshippers and priest head back inside. Only then did he communicate to her, tired sounding but not unhappy as he came unto the Carrier, likely stripping off the spacesuit and preparing to come aboard the Chance.

"Everything went okay?"

"Yeah" Callum's voice came back "As well as can be, I'll explain when I get back up. You want Debbie to stay on the Carrier and help with the cloak? Do you want me…"

"No" she cut him off "You're already tired and you, yourself, warned us not to. We're powering engines up now, so get up here and start laying in our course"

…and, wonder of wonders, he did as he was told without argument for once. Kara then switched her attention back to getting the Carrier moving, at least once there 'mages' had managed to do their magic spells to partially hide the massive bulk. The Monitors allowed such 'magic' to be passed out of the Carrier, and she used the delighted Jenny to help them despite only a little while before wanting to give the girl a rest. Unfortunately Deborah and the other magic-users wanted help, so 'stand-by' became helping within a few minutes as the Mimic drive engaged once again at sub-light speeds. For the moment that was on a hard burn towards the planet the moon was orbiting as Kara timed it to stay hidden from the ships chasing them as long as possible before the magical cloak kicked in, and then Callum arrived up on the bridge.

"We have directions?" were her first words to him then, rather than anything else as he strode unto the bridge of the Chance "Otherwise I'm sticking to the planned course"

"Yeah, stick to that for the moment. We can still use the planet as a shield to try mask our movements" he replied as she came over beside him as he almost raced to the 'command table' or 'dimensional compass board' if you wanted to call it what it was. Immediately pulling out his dimensional compass device and placing on the middle of it "We are going a bit further out than originally planned, but we have a route"

"Did your, ah…."

He shrugged "Line was…let's go with a weak connection, but I know where to go to get a better…well, better signal? Yeah, better signal is the best description I can give. You'll have to keep captaining since I'll be…distracted by projecting this"

"Okay" she nodded, having expected that based on their earlier plans "Dangers ahead?"

"A few potentially, and we're dipping back close to that lot's territory potentially" he made a face "Pantheon clashes and overlaps probably. We're perilously close to a wider multiversal cluster we do not want to get involved with"

'That doesn't sound good' was her immediate thoughts on that "That bad?"

"Not necessarily…in that the Boss didn't recognise…me for want of a better word. Beyond…it's hard to explain really. Divines are oft multiversal, but not always…linked up?" he paused. Shrugged "Whatever, it's a case of being recognised now, and I played messenger and data-storage device all in one"

The table's displays began to shift as Callum placed his hands on it, the dimensional compass between them, and then another map started to form. Lines and nonsensical looking arrows that wound about here and there, but most prominently what looked to be a direct route somewhere "We're follow that I'm assuming?"

He nodded, eyes closed "Yeah, I'm doing my best to just….cast it unto the displays. We're at least seven hours away from it, it's why I could make a connection at all honestly. We're damned close, and next dimension over has a presence, but we need to push beyond that…"

[08.31: Anabasis]

[Pray, pray, pray away! Pray through the stars in a war-like way!]

I'd destroyed the shrine on the moon with a phaser blast to cover our tracks. Or, at the least, cover up exactly what we'd been doing there if anyone attempted to investigate. At least beyond the answer of 'magic' that prevented past scrying anyway. I didn't think having the fact of what happened be relevant even if anyone did know, but it was best to try and avoid giving your enemies any clues if you could avoid it as the Boss Above would say. Especially when those potential foes were knowledgeable in the whole 'travel between the planes' thing as they clearly were.

Which was why I was now in a combination of meditation and prayer on the 'observation deck' of the Carrier, allowing myself connection to the cosmos beyond. Passing through one dimension, then another, many hours later, had helped greatly, though the pursuit was continuing unfortunately. Continuing and slowly, steadily, gaining on our giant slow asses, signalling us, at over a day's distance, barely, to slow and stand down as best we could guest at the flashing arcane lightshow. They could see us, and we could see them. So, everyone could everyone unhappily, and we were entering the realms of 'might need to fight' using the Chance to try gain back the previous lead we had.

For the moment though….

I was in once more in prayer after a long rest. Which itself had been after a long session of laying out a route to where we might need to be. Not exactly where we needed to be, but close enough for me to Pray and actually have a valid response above the level of barely audible, understandable, directions that had given me a headache afterwards. A bad headache, and exhaustion that had led to the long rest as command by my fair Kara, currently acting Captain of this barge. Now though the painful experience to 'pushing' beyond the veil wasn't there this time, nor had the 'support' of worshippers being needed this time either.

It had still requited a full ritual circle and several hours work to get said ritual circle established…

'But one can live with that' I supposed as I carefully cleared my mind, then began to work through a number of ritual prayers and mantras to focus. Focus and generally forge a connection with….my other self? The greater yet not all there whole?

Because I really wasn't trying to Pray, per se, but instead forge a far greater connection so that far more information could be exchanged. Which had to come from me in this exchange unfortunately, along with the protective circles and host of other things to avoid the 'you scry, you die' that was all too popular amongst advanced magical cultures. So, I controlled my breathing, slowly, but surely, marshalling my magic, and began to pray…

Then I was elsewhere, in a different place…as myself, green of skin and clad as I was in my white trader's suit and hat. I am standing on a…empty road, somewhere, and a blue-white-ish light seemed to be in the sky, making the sky a faint lilac-red colour. The trees were semi-normal looking at least, and there was a 'road sign' directing me along the trail ahead. So, I began to walk as it directed, a hazy mist or fog filling the surrounding regions, obscuring them as I sought out my destination. Nothing could ever be simple, even when it wasn't exactly physically there.

Fucking had to walk miles. Ridiculous!

"Are you going to moan the entire time?" a voice asked from the shadows as I stepped forward again, and the alien became somewhat more…normal. Medieval actually, but 'normal' medieval from my point of view as I at least recognised the architectural designs somewhat. The trees now looked much more normal, with the cloudly skies blue tinted instead of lilac, and the clouds white-grey amidst the fog and snow covered mountain forest that now surrounded me. Along with a lone stone tower in front of me, from which emerged the Boss as it were, clad in shadows, golden eyes burning "Par for the course I know, but, can you not?"

"As you command my Lord" I offered back politely, with amusement "But, well…par for the course, and, well, sort of in need here Boss Orc"

"Oh, we're aware of that little problem, as well as other things" came back to me as I was 'linked' with something beyond my current mortal ken as it were. I didn't remember walking into the tower, but now I was sitting down inside it, in an old library, a crackling fire in the hearth as the fog and cold flowed in outside the fortress "As well as the little updates you bring. You understand this a variation cluster?"

"Something like that" I answered sitting forward, hands together, frowning "That would imply it's sealed?"

"No" came the answered "Merely shuttered off dimensionally from certain other realms. We could call them Prime, but, well, we prefer to see ourselves as that. We all do when we do. Planeswalking Shards are…well, now we know about you we can sort something out perhaps. In time"

"There are Shards here, or…"

The shadowy figure shrugged "There are two actually, in sealed dimensions on the borderlands. One's a favour fighting giant asshole God and red flavoured creator deity for a blue one, and the other's a little unhinged and dealing with ice zombies, evil tree murder hippies, and fire demon worshippers. That would be my Boss ordering such. This cluster of the multiverse as you call it, is a mess"

"Do I need to…"

"No, no, there will be no meetings. No cooperation and fucking things up. Those realms are near hard sealed, and will remain so for a very, very, long time" 'He' answered a shadowy hand gesturing at me "You need to get to the borders of the Bleed, and, thanks to your memories, we know, roughly, where that is. So, we get to kill two birds with one stone"

I sighed "I have to do things, don't I?"

"Yes, obviously" my own voice came back in a 'duh' tone "You should know this song and dance by now. Help will be given, but you need to earn it. To, 'do things' as you put it. Because you're being chased by planeswalking space goblins. So…no galivanting through our realms. The Boss would be mad with that. So, yes, getting you away from them means doing to things that distracts them and does other things. Don't worry, you won't remember most of this when you get home!"

I sighed again. Deeper this time "Yeah…sure. Right"

"Don't worry. You'll get that ring…rings…you want to"

I gave a suspicious look, and the figure 'sighed' raising hands in surrender "Fine, fine…you'll find a celestial magic forge place that can FORGE said magic love rings of doom you so want. All while said celestial magic forge is seized in, well…the name of Me, Myself, and I. Don't worry, all the space dwarves that used to inhabit it are dead, so it's more…"

"Dynamic archaeology instead of outright stealing?"

"That it is my follower, that it is" the shadowy figure paused "Also. You have a hold filled with crazy wizards and half-naked elves. What have we said about the stereotypes?"

"Not to do them" I muttered awkwardly, then giving a helpless gesture "Like…come'on, it's not my fault! They just…the Drow turned up, and then she brought…"

"Yes, yes, we know, but you are still a Cleric of ours with a giant spaceship filled with said crazy wizards and half-naked elf ladies. We are not having the rest of the Pantheon know about thee. No, you are going to travel a route, filled with things that need doing, people that might need killing, and stuff that needs some dynamic archaeology…"

My God held up a small booklet, throwing it to me "Here, a step-by-step guide on what you need to do. Memorise and move on. Do the thing"

"Ya'know Other Gods give vague prophesies and boons…"

"Well fuck them, now do your job and then you'll get your rewards, or well, rewards as tools at least!"

[08.32: Anabasis]

[Monsters and Morons that show up on the horizons of distant anime space!]

Quinn Mallory didn't like being on the bridge, doing…captainy-stuff…like Callum and Kara did, but Callum was currently unavailable, Kara was off handling the crazy magic people…

And so, he had to help do things up here as the bridge was very busy, as was the Carrier, and all the various people involved with Callum's magic ritual-thing. Barbara Gordon was 'Acting Captain' of course, and that was fine with Quinn, but he was already listening to all the usual babble from the other people as they laid out facts from the machines, he could read by himself thank you very much. Unfortunately, that was their job, and so he had people telling him things he could find out in a little bit on his own efforts. Such as the fact they were back in space, again, after sliding, again, and the magic-whatever had hopefully delayed the short green people chasing them.

Also, someone named Courtney had had a baby…which Quinn wasn't sure why it was important enough to tell him that factoid…and that everyone who'd done magic-whatever to do the Slide were asleep. Just as Callum had said they would be. So, no need to repeat that obvious fact again and again. They just had to keep going, and travel where they would need to go according to Higher Level Entity that had instructed them to do just that journey planning. It was a…bizarre…map, such that such insane scribbles and nonsensical, yet also strangely straightforward, directions almost made sense. Almost. Maybe it was the mortal mind thing Callum had been going on about?

"…real-space, FTL is active" the girl at sensor station, Rose, one of the people from the vampire town the slayer-girl "Mimic drive will be active as soon as we have analysed the dimensional structure"

"Good, notify the moment it's functional" he heard Barbara order back, fiddling with one of the data-pads in her hands as she came over towards Quinn "Asa's reporting everything is looking good down in medical, and Callum and the others are off to bed. Right when we could do with the help of course"

"I think that was the plan, wasn't it?" he said back to her, giving her an odd look. Batgirl was interesting, but odd, just like many of the crew. The whole 'magical thing' had been really boring, aside from impossible to make sense of data on his sensor feed, as it looked like any other Slide…except weirdly dark tinted for whatever reason "So, now try travel away. Like planned"

"Hmm, yes, I'm aware" she muttered, sighing as she looked at the scenes "I'm also remembering the problems our dear boy Callum mentioned about doing this. The whole pushing through and into an active narrative as he put it?"

"Don't look at me. I don't understand magic, not what he and the others did at the guidance of some ghostly magic dude that knows stuff" he answered obviously with a shrug "But, well, here we are, and we're supposed to find active people-stuff or whatever you want to call. I'm inclined to call Narrativium, and I might come up with a dimensional travel periodic table to account for it"

She gave him of those looks he found people gave him from time to time. Then frowned, and let out breath "No, we're not calling it that. My life is a comic-book, bad movies, and even worse cartoon porn already apparently, and I don't want to consider its multiversal too. You do recognise things would be much easier with K and Callum around to help?"

"Sure, but we have you, and would rather deal with the crazy wizard people instead of her? They were…helping?...weren't they?"

'As much as the crazy religious magus people can help anyone' he thought as Barbara nodded, slowly, in acknowledgement that he was, technically, correct Yes, they…helped. In their own, special, way. With Kara and security standing on them so no blood sacrifices or whatever crazy they thought might help, but instead doing a lot of standing around and chanting. Then getting tired afterwards. SCIENCE! was so easier, better, than such slapdash methodology. Still…it worked he supposed, as here they were.

"Yes. Helped. Sure, let us go with that" she muttered mirroring Callum a little, then shook her head "Do you think that everything went as planned? Being the expert and all"

"Oh, as best I can tell…yes, it did" he told her straight as the displays began to flash and show a solar system, and a host of energy flows "Now, you know me, not a big fan of the magic mumbo-jumbo, but get me the mental visions too from the shadowy dude, so, yes, all looks good. Were to go to an inhabited system nearby?"

"Yes" she nodded, the stars alight "As soon as we ensure it's not Earth. Callum was very particular about Not going anywhere Earth"

"They farm people, don't go near them, yeah, he mentioned that to me as well"

Which was super creepy. Humans that were like the Kromaggs. Except they didn't eat the victims, but 'reused' the flesh and organs on themselves. Another fucked universe they'd entered into. Quinn would be glad to get home for once and getting the unhappy glares everyone told him he got. He barely noticed, as that didn't fix his mistakes, and people would never like him there for those mistakes and all those he harmed. But…still, it was home, and certainly a lot less horrible than most of the places they'd slid into of late.

Batgirl's lips thinned "Hmm, right…"

"We have drives active!" Rose called out, and the red haired woman in front of Quinn turned, gesturing, as if that mattered for some reason.

"Excellent, bring us to the edge of the system first on this plot…" he watched Barbara highlight the holographic displays with a finger stab "…here. Once we're there Rose, I want you to push the sensors to the limit and prep to jump to the nearest system once we confirm it's clear of heavy activity signals"

"There looks to be a lot of activity and energy flashes in general Sir" the girl at sensors pointed, which Quinn could already see on the star map taking shape "Um, do I…"

"Scan what you can, and we'll initiate jump regardless" he heard Batgirl respond, shaking her head "We need to make distance from this breach-point as soon as possible"

Quinn nodded at that. Running away from here as fast as possible was the best idea. Sure, the space goblins in their magic fucking space sailing ships were supposed to be delayed, but they couldn't count on that. If they were to catch up with them, then it was better it be over 'neutral ground' as Callum had put it so they might be discouraged from attacking them. There were many things to do, and fighting magic space goblins really wasn't part of Quinn's plans, nor were they part of Isabel's. This whole thing was ruining their scientific robot designing date in fact, in that usual problematic issue of being one of the people supposedly in charge.

"Unless we leave a drone behind, we won't know if, and when, they arrive, or if they are even following" he offered standing beside Batgirl Barbara "This won't be line of sight anymore"

The girl nodded looking serious as she watched the displays "I know, but we can't afford to lose those drones, and leaving one behind would be losing it. Might even give our pursuers ideas if they catch it intact. No, we'll just have make do what we can with the sensors on the Chance. Think you can adjust to scan better for the magical…energy, or whatever you want to call it, that they emit?"

"Unlikely, not at distance unless they get really loud" he answered honestly with a shrug "Let's just try and get to a developed world that won't attack us, and then see what Callum and Kara decide about the whole diplomacy part. That is their thing after all, not mine…"

[08.33: Anabasis]

[Roll against….and it's a bare, normal, boring pass!]

[Trader's Journal: Day 2622]

[Current Dimension]

On the route by God's Will.

[Current Location]

In space, travelling faster than light.

[Trading Report]

N/A

[Diary Entry]

Well, I'm awake, and we're on the move. Also, there was a baby girl born on our ship to two of the crew, Stargirl and Weryl, oh, and, again, marching orders from the Boss Orc. Had to sleep, a lot, after the ritual unfortunately, but I'm blessed with a wonderful girlfriend, live-in ladies, and crew that ensured I could sleep in and recover despite being chased by magic dimension and space travelling goblins. They were gaining ground on us, but I was blessed with a ritual means to breach into a semi-known dimension. Albeit not by me, but by the Boss, even if his presence here is weak as it's from outside dimensional bleed-through rather than a native presence on this plane.

Basically, the Boss knows bits and pieces about these realms, and therefore in we go as there's a route he wants us to take. To capture a Forge, and generally screwup the plans of people I've never met. I'm back under management as it were, so, as Lord commands; - off we go, also to escape. That's the important part for our immediate cause, and I've just been meeting with our. Well. Let's go with 'Council of People Allied to Us' I suppose. That's Captain Maeani and Lady Barthomelloi most importantly, but also a gaggle of people attending the magus, along with confused elves following the Drow's lead because they are completely and utterly lost right now.

The Japanese and Korean communities are organised now, albeit in two separate clusters that are very, very, unhappy and wary of each other, but the elves are, clearly, not at that stage. I'm not surprised, they've just lost everything, and, well, elven women and teenagers as well. Rapid change in society is NOT something they react well too all in all. That's at the best of times too, and these are not the best of times for them at all. Kara's tried her best, but there's the a sense of depression or denial all about them. Some are acting like 'everything is normal', even down to swimming in the 'pool' (which is for the crops), while others do nothing but sit around blank eyed and depressed.

As per contractual agreements between our Churches, and a, technical, priest of the Boss Orc, I have offered counselling and usual 'Good Word of Elly-chan, the nudist sword swinging drow that sings'. Yes, I could put it better, but Captain Maeani gave a looked of mild horror at that, and, respectively, informed me that she would prefer not to convert, and the she preferred to keep her clothing on. Good job Elly, you are known to the goblins, as is the Boss apparently, at least after our drow lady-captain spoke to her crew, or a read a book. I dunno which, but, well, she is helping with keeping the elves calm. Largely because she's, sort of, by default of the one who saved them, 'in charge' in a loose way. So much as the elves are organised at all anyway. Because they aren't organised in any way, not really. They just respond to commands or stand around/sit there starting blankly or weeping instead.

Work cut out for us there.

Now, unto the other business that required trying to organise the elf village taking shape in our hydroponics/agri-bay of sorts. We're in a faster-than-light active plane, which is good, and we're powering on towards a system with activity in it, and then beyond to a region when we can dimension breach in some manner of stealth. Or, well, to be more accurate we can leave this plane for the next targeted one in a region where it's really hard to figure out what's going on due to high energy as it were, along with general dimensional bleed-through as the Boss makes me think of it. A nexus point of sorts.

We need to make distance, ideally lose our pursuers, and generally avoid this dimension's earth – because they are cannibal skin wearing psychopaths best left alone by us. We're in-dimension for several days at a minimum to make our planned route, one through 'active' territory at that so our pursuers might lose the trail, so that's a concern as always. Because we've not been great at that so far to be honest. Whatever. Right now I'm going down to Chao's little harem to offer my congratulations, properly, as well as a blessing as requested by Weryl – so, off I go. Then it's time Kara and M'gann by their demands. Slán for now future-me!

[Trader's Journal: Day 2631]

[Current Dimension]

Boss above we left! Without incident! Multiple jumps!

[Current Location]

Under the sea again. On a planet that's like Pangea Earth? It's a Sol system variant anyway, even if there's nothing resembling sapient life here.

[Trading Report]

We need to rest the drives, that and explore forward with a 'bridging operation' as it were. We can emergency jump, but a 'beacon' on the other side is the recommended approach according to the voice in my head.

[Diary Entry]

Wonder of wonders. We've had, well, a nice, uneventful trip and gone all those days now without any sigh of our pursuing ships. Captain Maeani feels they could figure things out potentially, but that would take time, and we should get out of this dimension as we planned. This matches what my Boss told me, so, confirmations are good, I guess. Hopefully they are busy with the sci-fi dudes.

Our plan now is simple, we've landed, hidden ourselves, and are currently in the process of preparing a dimensional breach to the next plane we need to go to. We're using Quinn's Slide to exact, with set coordinates from God Himself, even if we have to wipe them afterwards it's a big help as it's purely technological in nature, and, well, unlikely to be as naturally understood to the goblins or other 'local' multiverse groups that might be allied with them. Or simply just curious. So, we're resting while we can.

First things first – a wedding. I'm marrying Team Lingshen. Yay! It'll be a party. Crew needs that. Little baby Ashley though, well, now the funny little polygamy team realised they need a few better things like a cot for said baby and other changes to the room. Bright people, last minute organisation – albeit in part due to our journey's madness till now, I guess. I admit I've done the same oversight, and it hammered home with two children on the way, so, ugh, we're talking about it now and how to mange things with the room as it is, and people present, but needing sleep. Still have time, unlike certain last-minute folk, but, yeah, needs to be planned out.

Right now, though, we need to prepare for moving through the next dimension, then the next, and the bridging over that cluster. Technically jumping hundreds, maybe thousands, of variant realms. That done nobody is following us, I think. Hopefully, best to prepare. Thankfully these worlds ahead should be more earth-like, with more restricted dimensional entry. Then, beyond that, is a task ahead for us I believe. Also, well, for me to do something I've been aching to do for a time now. Plans done. Materials acquired. Now one just needs a forge to handle the work. Convenient then the Boss wants us to acquire such a thing and forge a Link back to League space as it were. To be Whole as it were, even if the Link is tenuous. I guess anyway. I'm just a glorified messenger in that regard.

Thankfully we now have extra planeswalker support, so, yeah, making deals with Captain Maeani and we're going to push forward once we've drone footage and readings from the next dimension ahead. We're doing this carefully and properly now, what with the recent problems and the whole fiasco in the lands of Izzy the Demon Lord. Or the goblins right now. So, we've a decent ways to go, so let's try and do it properly and efficiently. Or at the least just get there as safely as I can keep my crew. Even down to the Starfury pilots only having sims to train on, but it's still training. Still steps forward. Even with the elves, thoughts more they aren't killing themselves are, mostly, not being a problem. And kept safely away from the magus of course. Thank the heavens the Carrier is as big as it is. After all, the Boss wants me to make not just a collection of trinkets on the way home.

[08.34: Anabasis]

[Vows, tears, and cake…]

"No" Brelyna Maryon huffed softly to Onmund, rolling her eyes after his whispered offer, half in jest "It will be in a proper place, in our homeland, with at least having informed my family"

'Not that they'd be happy about such things, but coin and power are mine now' she thought with amusement at that very thought, along with the simple joy of her friends marriage. Some of the others aboard the vessel seemed confused by the one male to three female nature of the marriage bond, but she was of Morrowind and had heard of such things before. Especially considering the powers of those involved, and the fact of several other of their crewmates own extended political marriages, such as with the ever-intimidating Azula, the Captain's apprentice.

'Though Onmund is not getting any others unless I have some need for such an alliance' she thought with a follow up, sipping at the Argonian brandy as the room was full of music, dance, and other various revelries of her allies. She didn't quite grasp the wedding traditions of Nords, let alone the multitude races of Men that now she now travelled with, but the whole affair had been rather dull…till now, and the drinking started. Brelyna was glad to see it, as it had been Weryl's talks that had finally encouraged her to take her own steps over the recent weeks and months to decide her own course of action and choices. And, importantly, to remind her that she was….powerful now. Both in wealth, knowledge, and allies. There were things she could do now without bowing down to the rest of House Telvanni completely. If they wanted her knowledge…then they would allow her choice of mate, children, and own cadet branch of the House.

Away from Morrowind and Skyrim and the rest of the realms of Mundus. No, Brelyna was going to travel for years, and then settle somewhere nice, with her friends and allies, the now newly created House Lingshen.

"I was only saying it mockingly" Onmund chuckled back, though he likely would have liked to avoid such as his family had been even worse than hers. Effectively driving him out due to his pursuit of magic, but, now aware of certain things, had wanted him back. Just like House Telvanni with she. Brelyna smiled at that, both the same, made for each other "You'd fireball me if we got wedded outside a temple of Mara, and watched by your ancestors"

"Good boy" she giggled, leaning back into him and allowing the hug, watching the 'nuns' from the Carrier move about. Or at least the younger blonde haired one, Sunao, that was hugging Weryl excitedly, and generally fussing over the baby while the blue haired one, the girl's mentor, glared at them all. Chao likely looking to add on there as Brelyna watched Chao 'smile' back at the woman named Ciel "It is a shame they cannot spend many days to revel on the bonding"

Onmund sighed "True, but none of us have, these months have been hard…but, with the pirates pursuing us not seen for over two weeks now. And Weryl is needed for the task of getting us back. The troubles of having such talents and understanding duty as Talos would teach"

"The sooner the better" she murmured, breaking the embrace to whirl about and point her finger at him "And you be careful when you're with them"

"Eh-hem, I should say the same you after that…"

"It was an accident the explosion was so big" she huffed, rolling her eyes "Everyone agreed we had to do that to get rid of any evidence of our presence!"

"I don't think the captain meant for us to blow up that ranch entirely"

Brelyna was not pouting back at Onmund. Not at all. "He didn't….object to it"

"Heh, heh, yes, yes, of course" her man replied back with as they half-walked, half-danced, with the music as they moved towards the bar for refills "Lucky there was no one in that nowhere place to blow up with it"

'It wasn't that bad' she thought as J'zargo came over, clearly after winning at cards at the table with the goblins and some of the engineers "J'zargo, looks you won?"

"Yes, J'zargo is much into the winnings this night, yes" their friend replied "Time won, restaurant times, hmm, J'zargo offers to friends"

"What do you want?" she asked back with amusement, pausing a moment to pick out her drink "To give us such largess oh normally oh so generous Khajitt?"

"Hmm, hmmm" their friend did his 'I so trustworthy!' sales pitch as usual "J'zargo wonders if Brelyna could ask Rin for…lendings of…certain book, yes"

"Because your banned from her presence still, yesss?" she asked back…

"Yes" J'zargo admitted, but pulling out the ticket like ration card "Ah, but, J'zargo havings Emiya shift times for…"

Brelyna groaned, conceding defeat "You drive a hard bargin, but, okay. Maybe. We agree later…when we are not drinking. Understood?"

"J'zargo understands, yes, J'zargo does pretty dunmer of joy and loveliness"

Onmund snorted in amusement "And what I am? No praise for me?"

J'zargo grinned his feline grin "Onmund not go challenge den of wicked mage-ladies for J'zargo, no?"

"Nooo" Onmund drawled back after a moment's thought, half a groan "Nooo"

Brelyna gave them both a glare "They are not that bad"

They both looked after her in that way of theirs, and she sighed, throwing up her hands, careful not to pill her refilled glass "Okay, okay, they are a little mad…but there's worse!"

"Ah, yes, J'zargo remembers Brelyna's of Morrowind. Normals, ehs?"

"Shut up, you!" she pouted "Do you want a trade or not?"

"J'zargo is quiet as Nord Greybeard"

"That's…" Onmund started to say something, then sighed "Fine…oh, here comes Debbie!"

'Sounds like…Oh, here comes salvation' she thought with amusement as the demon-blooded woman with litter grey skin than Brelyna smiled at them as she came up to the bar "Yes, here I am Onmund. Brelyna, J'zargo, a lovely ceremony was it not?"

"J'zargo thinks too many flowers, makes sneezes…"

"They, were…ugh, very pretty…"

Brelyna sighed, waving her free hand at them "Ignore them, they're idiots. How are you, Debbie? You were with the last mission and, well…"

Her friend emitted a low groan "Ohh heavens…awful place, awful, awful, place. An Earth where…robots got a robot war started due someone trying to shut down a dominatrix program. Because some idiot needed her robo-dildo now-now-now. Then boom! Planet of the warring sexbots. I'm just glad to have gotten through that place unnoticed and never have to think on it again"

"Ah, in…deed" she replied taking another sip of the brandy "We have made good progress in the journey, which is good"

Debbie smiled as she got her own drink back "Oh, yes, which is very good, Callum's intent on us resting up here for a few days at least, let the newly weds relax, and I think he wants more time to try train the fighter pilots and generally let us all rest"

"That would be excellent" Onmund admitted, nudging her "After certain fireball usage…"

She gave him a mock glare, Debbie smiling "Oh, I heard, it was an empty farm, but those cameras were a problem, and who…well, our fearless leader complained about illegal drugs and storage. That's been three earths on this chain"

"Is that where we are now?"

Debbie shook her head in response "Mars actually now, or some version of it. Don't know why we moved, but we did. Now, more important business; now that we're free a few days I'm looking to organise a study session…"

[08.35: Anabasis]

[Jinxy Jenny, Luck and Variation]

"Ugh, that's the bad part of the day over!" Jinx muttered to Jenny as the duo were escorted back unto Fortune's Chance from the Carrier with 'Shadow whatever' name it was supposedly having "God! Breeding! Ugh!"

Jennifer 'Jenny' Quantum rolled her eyes "Lord To Big for his Britches was trying to get into my panties, not yours, so I don't know why your complaining"

"Breeding purposes? Good for the bloodline? Papa says?" Jinx huffed back "Ugh! I'm offended for you! As your friend"

Jenny rolled her eyes "Oh Jinxy, my hero!"

Then her friend gave a snort "I'd turn the little jackass into a toad if the captain wasn't such a pussy about things"

"I think that's because you were too willing to punch first, ask questions later"

Jenny huffed, puffing up in irritation "She were askin' fer it I tells ya! No sayin shite like that about my Da's! They were the best!"

"Better than mine, now he was a pussy. Ugh, if couldn't have just hit Mother and saved us all the pain" Jinx grumbled, letting out the anger at the memory to someone she now trusted. Everyone on the ship was fucking mental after all, so Jinx felt…better…at home…with them. And they all cared, even Evan, who gave a snort of amusement as he escorted the two 'princesses of the ship' back aboard as Security put it to tease them "But even I know you can just go turning people into toads….even when they totally, completely, deserve it"

"He was looking at you as a….breeding partner as well you know. Or his Daddy was. It were dead Papa's words out of Lord Jonathan Tight-arse's it were!"

Jinx glowered "Don't need to remind me. Least it's only a few classes with'em. 'You need kids your age! Here let me help! He says!' Ugh, I like it on the ship without that lot!"

"I know. Azula and Medea only got so much time to spare after all, and we waste it with those idiots!" Jenny agreed as they came back aboard, getting a check by the two guards at the entrance in power armour. That idiot Justin and the boring when on duty Maria "Ugh!"

"Yeah! Ugh!" Jinx agreed, the security door sealing behind them as they stepped inside "So…what do we do now?"

"Hey, want to watch the fighter pilots training?" Jenny replied after a moment, looking at the time and seeing they were supposed to be…'resting'…now after lessons, boring, annoying, lessons with the 'classes' on the Carrier on silly, children's things "While we get lunch obviously. I am hungry"

Jinx's stomach threatened to rumble at that reminder, so she voiced her agreement with that plan. Life aboard the Chance….idiot lessons aside…was, for lack of a better word, awesome. Oh, when they went through the scary place and everyone was getting all senile, her included, Jinx had been worried…but not now, not anymore, as life 'settled down' and she found herself…

Home. A home better than her actual home had ever been. No Mother to try use her as a punching bag, and no scummy useless waste of space that tried to act like her Father. Captain Callum had made her a Ward of the ship, just like Jenny, and while he seemed to have so little time…he had made sure she had sweet-ass room filled with fucking awesome stuff, and if there was a problem…he fixed it for. All she had to do was tell her or Vice-Captain Kara, or the even softer-hearted Mistress Martian M'gann, Captain Callum's ladies, and boom…problem solved, or at least a reason why it wasn't. This place was heaven, even with all the danger, and the friends she'd made her weren't always looking to take advantage of her either even!

The 'canteen' was a fancy restaurant-hotel sort of place in design, with fancy wooden furniture, and nice spaces to stay with little televisions or magic crystal balls to take place. It was silly she wasn't allowed alcohol yet, but beyond that it was an glorious place, with fancy food that she was allowed and she'd gotten to know everyone since leaving the 'home' she'd abandoned. All thanks to 'alternate Jinx' who'd been friends with the Captain's evil original, cuz he was a clone or sumthin, and Jinx thanked that other Jinx she'd never meet many times for being so awesome as to be sought out like that. To be cared for. It was to be cared for even with how busy everyone was…

Oh, it was Shirou…

"Hi Shiroooooo" she and Jenny giggled chorused at their favourite chef and member of the kitchen staff as he came over to take their orders. The weird old hag-loli Ilya, his 'not-sister -wannabe-lover' was already up at the counter eating and giving them a pout as she glanced over at them for taking away time with 'Onni-chan' as they heard her put it "We're in your care!"

Luckily Ilya like them, and neither them really wanted to join his crazy harem of crazy ladies. Being friends and teasing them….bar Rin, the glaring crazy one, and the Tiger Lady…was fun. Medusa and Medea got on very well together, and helped teach Jinx so much, especially in the last few weeks as the ship 'settled down' and had a lull after the birth of little baby Ashley to Weryl. Jinx *would* pout at that. Weryl wasn't too much older than them, and a nice, easy to talk too, boy…and he was taken by his own crazy harem. That wasn't for Jinx. Even if Jenny went on about having her own one of boys and the weird alien god dude that Captain Callum followed.

"Girls, your lessons went well?"

"Yes, boring" Jenny huffed back "But a magus boy was…dumb"

"I think he was trying to say we were pretty…but, super bad at it" Jinx said, and Shiro gave an amused smile.

"Magus. Yes, that might be the case. You didn't punch anyone?"

"Nooo, we were good" Jenny muttered "Even if he deserved it"

"I'm sure he did. If any of them cause real trouble for you just tell Shirou and I'll get Rin to…um, explain things to them" he said with a smile, handing them the menus "Now, here is the menu today!"

"Cool" Jenny offered back looking down "Hey, has much happened while we were doing borin' stuff at school? We were gonna watch the pilots flighin' if that's still happening?"

"Yes, that is happening, want me to put it on for you?" he answered, doing just that as they both nodded "One of the missions was two, two were hurt, Owen and Pierre from Security, but nothing too serious, they'll be all healed up by tomorrow. But they did whatever it was the had to, so we'll be jumping again on in a few days to where-ever is planned by the captain. He's free in about…oh, and hour I believe if you want to try get time to study with him"

Jinx beamed back "Thanks Shirou…oh, and I'll have the Katsu Curry here"

When Jenny had ordered, and Shirou marched away to be coo-ed at by Miss Ilya as he went to work in the kitchen, Jinx watched the 'Star Furies' moving this way and that in the Martian environment. It was interesting to watch, but she had no interest in being a pilot like that herself. Studying magic and having a nice, cool, life was her desire now as she looked to Jenny "Will we try catch him after this?"

"Who?"

"Captain Callum" she answered rolling her eyes "Azula might be there, we can practice with them"

Jenny nodded "Okay…yeah, that'd be good. Need to practice more. Now we can remember it all. Think they'll let us go on a mission?"

"Nah, not till we're…older" Jinx huffed in annoyance, shaking her head unhappily "It's dangerous anyway, you just heard…"

"I know! But it's so…"

"Not playing heroine to save the day?" she teased back and Jenny huffed as Jinx chuckled "Oh, boo, can't be Super Jennifer…"

"Jenny Quantum!"

"Super Jenny" she teased back with a laugh "Look, we'll see this League place soon hopefully, and then we can do stuff maybe…"

[08.36: Anabasis]

[The breath before the plunge]

[Trader's Journal: Day 2696]

[Current Dimension]

Edging towards the edge of the Boss's 'known space' as it were.

[Current Location]

In orbit near the mercury in a largely empty Sol system.

[Trading Report]

Some mining, general production, etc, but nothing external to Carrier. Most relevant thing has been taking aboard minerals and the like as this is Sol System, it's got an Earth somewhere around the nineteenth century, and an empty Mars. So, we are mining, resting up, and training again after our recent high jump tempo.

Also, Chief Engineer Sanchez has reported the Rafale fighters have been finished being stripped down, rebuilt, and are now space capable. Even if we now only have four of them now. Which is fine, the Androsynth mod space-to-space missiles that fit them are in short supply even with our own production. Still it's something isn't it?

Twelve combat capable Starfuries and four, well, let's go with New Spacefighter we haven't named yet.

[Diary Entry]

Heavens, it's been weeks and we're still pressing forward, and both Kara's and M'gann's bellies are going from bump stage to big belly levels. Asa's not entirely sure with the pregnancies length, as, well, hybrids, and me adding in magic to help as needed. So, all we have to go on is by size of bellies and general monitoring of them with arcane and medical scans. Sorry, I just worry is all, and Kara's taken a backseat as she's increasingly tired of late from the situation. Though Courtey's and Weryl's little girl's health after a month and a half now gives me hope – even if this journey grows ever longer and I long for home, or at least a familiar port I can call home for now. To see if the League even still stands after this long journey.

Anywho, dark thoughts aside – yeah, back into a lull period again. Next leg is, well, planned for by the Boss Orc for us to collect people, and then get beyond to somewhere rather important. Where we 'salvage' a giant fecking forge world-thing apparently. But, first, we have to get beyond the dimensional fuckery zone ahead of us where the Boss has no impact, nor view. So, yeah, travel through the Badlands which we have yet to explore beyond a 'group' (how big is this group by the way?) that's stuck on the edge of things. Maybe. Boss Orc's orders future-me, and orders are orders. Bringing the Faith and all that.

Now, unto today's fun time happy times. Had to kill a magus, because mind-controlling people and then trying to steal my shit. At least we think that's what he was trying to do, because, honestly, it was a bizzarro stream of troll logic thrown at me about magical artifacts and the Root, and other nonsense. I handed him over to Lorelei and Waver for them to kill, publicly, because vassal-lord relationship thingie going on here. It's the only way to make everything work between all our groups in the Carrier. Till yesterday we hadn't had any deaths amongst the groups for six weeks. We even have newspapers (digital ones) and a television channel functioning between all three groups!

Even the elves, who are still in mental trauma mode, and their representative. Well, Luciana is a female, elven, Quinn, that prefers magic over science. I'm unsure she really grasps the situation of her people beyond abstractions as she's clearly gotten over the loss of her culture. Everyone is now housed, has food and water, magic to work on the agri-bay that's producing food, and the other 'other' elf village things. Just because half her people sit around listless is barely noticed. Yes, me and Babs have been talking about an Elven Jobs Programme. My life stopped making sense ages ago I suppose.

[Trader's Journal: Day 2700]

[Current Dimension]

Edge of one multiversal cluster. Well several actually, but, like the end of one and start of another from the point of view of where we want to go.

[Current Location]

Mars. Landed. Performing combat training for security teams.

[Trading Report]

N/A in regards trade.

Stores are holding up as, with magic elves, we have our food supply actually being harvested. Not much, but every little helps, even if we're not exactly high on fresh meat obviously. Only what frozen stores we've got, or the large amount of tinned food still available. Not need for rationing for at least another three months without any restocking.

Equipment modification testing is going relatively well, though Pierre, one of our security personnel is off duty for a few days owing to seal problem during a poison fog test. That suits now scrapped obvious, but most of the modifications made by the various engineering, science, and arcane teams have worked well. Even the earthbender and firebender suits allowing use of their powers through said light sealed suits. Gloves and boots cost a gods-damned fortune in terms of material and spellcrafting though.

[Diary Entry]

Final testing and training going on, and it's going well I suppose. Personally, I've got M'gann in our bed now, which is uncomfortable, but Kara isn't exactly having the mood for certain physical activities either so, and claims she wants care for both of them. Bullshit. Fine, okay, whatever, we're making Megs room into a child's room for now, and then working from there, sure. No, tag teaming me to prevent me leaving during my rest periods is not the reason they are conspiring against me. Babs too, conspiring at me when I'm busy to be less busy. We can be less busy when we get home.

I'll focus on business for then. Azula's taking a greater role with security and on the bridge as Kara's busy, and Quinn's, Quinn, basically. There's only so many of us free, and only so many shifts we can work due to the Carrier's extra load – so promotions all around!

Mostly as Nathan, in his capacity as chief of security, has been taking several dozen of the best of the trained military personnel from amongst the refugee 'militia' and 'police' and trained them as support forces for our teams during bridging operations. Simply put we're needing soldiers both on-site and in ready response positions when we're going in blind – and we don't have enough to do that 24/7 without extra staff. Yeah, not happy about it, but it's the best we can do, and the same reason we've been allowing the 'Church' group to help out as well. In exchange for supplies of course, so we can balance one group against another. Uh-huh, back to all that again in this life now. Fun that.

So, training, and that includes Alyaer, our lovely, surprisingly socially awkward, drow matriarch. We're maintaining a firm watch on her and her crew, largely as they are coming in and out of the Fortune's Chance on planned trips to study various things. Or for training. We have a much, much, larger crew, but she has an experienced as well, and it lets us plot dimensions better than I could on my own. In exchange for access to our library and, I think more importantly?, our little restaurant. Unlike them we have a trained kitchen staff, with all the amenities of both technological and arcane societies. Also, what can be called a 'games room' and 'dancing area' as well. And they've all been cleared of health concerns by Asa, so no say no to that.

Anyway, onwards and upwards as they say. We've the next bridging operation ready to, and then we're jumping out. Slán for now.

[Trader's Journal: Day 2705]

[Current Dimension]

An earth with an unhappy eldritch being weather problem.

[Current Location]

Over a dead frozen city/town/industrial plant over what I think is the Yellowstone caldera. It's hard to tell, as the whole planet is frozen as fuck.

[Trading Report]

I laugh. Sarcastically and bitterly.

[Diary Entry]

Right. Feck. We have a gentleorc adventurer planeswalking mage and his merry band of Shrouded Lord worshippers. Half-orc gentleman adventurer by the name of Tarquin Icewater the Fourth, Priest of the Shrouded Lord of Nishrek. And by half-orc I mean half-ogre mage. Also explorer, scientist, scholar, preacher, and a host of other titles be babbled at me. He has a monocle.

I really don't want to go down there and meet him. No, I don't. But sadly, I do. And I'm bringing Alyaer and her drowness down with me when I do. Because there's an expedition. Or criminals fleeing. I'm not entirely sure, and yet don't want to know. He's one of the Boss Orc's Tricker Domain priests it feels like to me, and he's several dozen orcs and various half-orcs with him.

Oh, did I mention the Planeswalker he's got trapped?

Yeah, a Spark Walker, and their apprentice. Who may have pissed off a Material Realm Multiversal Entity according to said gentleorc adventurer!

I'm sorry, now is time to bang my head against the walls as we're on iceball earth where most of humanity looks to be dead, and I've got the Boss's band of rejects to deal with. Also a route through a dimensional region where something is pissed off. By the injured morons 'not imprisoned' in the ruins of a geothermal whatever industrial city-whatever.

Gods dammit!

[08.37: Anabasis]

[The unending cold]

The 'camp' at Yellowstone was an illusion apparently, a well created one seemingly as our gentleorc adventurer had reported as soon as we'd brought the Carrier through to the dimension. I was wary of a trap, all systems up and active, ready to run, if need be, or fight if forced to. Such trickery…well, I really expected such from a fellow priest of the Boss Orc, the real camp being in South America for feck's sake, but it still made me wary as I stepped through a Door into the howling whiteout. There was a ring of protective wards at the edge of this valley that'd prevent imply trying to 'Door' in, and this whole dimension was generally making anything but close in teleportation nearly impossible anyway.

Like myself my escort were clad in white snow camouflage, well protected against the freezing cold that permeated the air, and against the shrieking winds. The Carrier above us actually protected against the worst of it, but it was still bitterly cold to step into it despite physical and arcane protections. This whole planet was suffering Iceball Earth syndrome, and suddenly too as ruined, dead, cities accounted for, and the presence of only a few dozen high energy spots denoting life. Frankly I was surprised there were people alive here at all, or that chunks of the planet still struggled against the cold as the weather was…unnatural to say the least. Well, natural with unnatural mixed in. Which came first I wondered for a moment?

I stepped forward, Captain Maeani muttering to herself as she walked beside me, impossible to hear over the winds as we were waved forward by a figure on a hill ahead of us. Armed with rifle it looked like, but slung over its shoulder, and, with that, we stepped through the wards, our six guards on alert was we were guided towards, and over, a stone bridge that stood over a mostly frozen river. I moved carefully, eyes looking through googles to watch our handful of watchers, blade at my side and pistol in my jacket, as we moved towards the ruins of an…industrial structure?

It looked very much like a battered collection of old-fashioned factory buildings through the snow, with stone and wood thrown up into makeshift barricade walls. But, more importantly, amidst those builds were ships, two that I could see now we were under the illusionary veil, spelljammers, looking they'd been built into the structures. Surrounded by snow and what might have been more buildings, but now it was a kill zone before a rough gate that opened for us, the 'guides' ahead of us moving through and waving us onwards. All under the eyes of two more up on the 'walls' that were two or three stories above us. Spell wards and religious phrases looked to be etched unto the 'walls' as well, which didn't hint at good things neither.

Stepping inside, I stayed on guard, Azula coming up beside me, while Captain Maeani's own aide came up beside her as we stepped inside…well, it was warmer at least. Tarp and cloth and wood and metal sheeting thrown up as a roof and walkways above and between the buildings within, and a road/floor of stone, wood, and metal before us. Defensible, but not dramatically so as the lead guide waited, pulling down a face cloth, and pull up googles, to reveal a grey-skinned, female face, with small orcish tusks. She looked to us as we did the same, me in my true half-orc form, and Alyaer with her unhappy drow face, then speaking in an accent I couldn't quite place "Oight, ello, you be here to rescue us, me be right, yeah?"

"Apparently" I replied a bit louder than my normal speaking voice, winds howling through the gates behind us, and against the walls and 'roof' above us "Once we talk to your expedition leader, and discuss the presence of your…guests?"

"Ai, am Lorta, ta bring ye to'em" she said with a nod, waving at another set of 'gates' to be opened ahead of where we'd come in, about a hundred metres to the right at an angle. Now up close I could see her 'winter gear' was a mixture of white cloth, with crude runes stitched in, worn over some sort of uniform it looked like. While the rifle looked to be flintlock of some measure, with a machete like knife, and a smaller dagger like one, at her belted waist "So come'ah dis way and ye can talk to me boss-orc, sa'much any wanna talk ta Tarquin on da best ah days"

'Well…I can guess why based on the crystal ball connection' were my thoughts as we were led through another set of gates, this time to where a 'town square', or circle, seemed to have been constructed, three spelljammer hulls visible, and heat, actual heat, filling the area from a central pillar that seemed to be generating it. With the ships and several buildings seeming to serve as living quarters or storage areas as I tried to estimate the numbers present, though only seeing about a dozen people around as we were led to one of the ships, up the gangplank, and unto the, heavy tarp covered, deck. Where the apparent leader was waiting as the woman, Lorta, gave a salute…

"Hello! It is I, Tarquin Icewater the Fourth, and welcome to our humble abode fellow explorers!" the orc interrupted her before she could say anything, voice slightly…I dunno, cheerfully energetic "Now, I'll admit we've gotten ourselves into a bit of furbil durbil, but…" he made arm gesture that might be about polishing something, or maybe punching it "…by Shadowy Vales we'll be back to success now, just you see!"

"Ah…right, okay" I began, the caught myself, opting for truths "Oh, where are my manners? Captain Outis, of the Fortune's Chance, and this is my colleague Captain Maeani of the Silver Song, and as I've already said, here to organise your evacuation in the name of our Lord"

"See Lorta, the Power of Prayer!" the hulking, half-orc announced as he stood up from the stool he'd been sitting on till now, a good head larger than myself, and I already towered over Alyaer due to her shorter drow nature "Only took a while yes, but here we are! Civilized folk out in the wild lands! New horizons await! New homes! Oh, and our Prize!"

"Hnnn" the orc woman muttered, then looked to me "Ai, he be all yours. Me? Me be just wantin ta get off this fuckin' snowball filled with dem savages an' dat cold daemon lurkin about"

"Shoo, shoo, oh fair lady of pessimism! Dinna scare away my noble brother in the faith!" the hulking Tarquin paused, glanced at the uncomfortable looking Alyaer "Oh, and are thou a priestess of the fair Lady of the Dance? If you want to get naked the rooms here are quite wa…"

She seemed to shimmy in against me without moving, tone crisp and firm "No. No thank you. I am not one of her kind, or the other kind. One is our own self"

"Oh, jolly good! Just learning that lady's good word I see, but not there yet!" Tarquin hummed back, big fingers coming up to his chin and nodding. Looking 'thoughtful' "Always found it a fascinating culture. Fascinating, and allied too…oh, yes, where was I? Yes! Of course! Welcome aboard, or…inside! Got a bit shipwrecked as it was, not the most jolly of times, but that's that, and, oh, we'd be most grateful if you could help us get to our…mutual goal"

I sighed. Straight into the meat of it apparently "You understand there won't be any going home, for you I'm afraid, once we complete….whatever it is He wanted? Ours a one-way trip back home, our home, as we have been adrift for a time ourselves and are under Secrecy"

The towering half-ogre chuckled, taking out his monocle and starting to clean it with a cloth "Oh. Indeed, that was always acceptable. All board this here expedition were aware it could…would…be one-way, eyes on the prize and all that! That was before things went terribly wrong and we ended up here"

I nodded, slowly "On that note…how did you end up here, exactly? And how long?"

"Ah, unfortunate events there. I'd planned out quite the expedition, but I'm not a traveller of the planes by training or inclination myself, so hired us two professionals with our seven vessels with crews. Long story made short…bim, bam, bosh, we ran into an idiot and…events spiraled. Badly. Lost a third of the expedition, including dear Barnaby Thunderbay and poor Yrong'goh Bongbong….or was it BingBong? I can never remember with those Yoshti sorts!"

He paused, waved his big, meaty, hands about "So, there we were battling out with a maddened material realm God-like Entity! This idiot who dragged us into the middle of it fatally injured, crews panicking! So, ol' Tarquin did the sensible thing and guided us away after giving that Fake God the old what-for to the face with a good ol' broadside! Quite the show it was, quite the show!"

Followed by a sigh "Then we had a choice of here and two other places worse than here. So, here we rest, sort of stuck for…ohh, one expects about one the local planetary rotations around its fire sphere. Say one and a bit cycles…"

"Is the…." I sighed "…the Spark Planeswalker here?"

"Oh, heavens to Jansu yes! Dying I'm afraid, rather slowly. Ungrateful fellow. Had to put him in stasis because…" he frowned, arms out in a helpless gesture "…well, that sort one supposes? Hadn't grasped at the tales, but quite the opinion of his lonesome self, and he was rubbing off on the poor dear he picked up in the…"

He motioned for us to follow, turning without a second though "Come, come, we can meet our little Tay-Tay…oh, wait best not have you call her that! She hates that when others do. It because we're the best of chums she allows it for little ol' Tarquin! Just uncivilized I find. Why she dressd like a savage till I got around to teaching her proper manners…"

[08.38: Anabasis]

[Outside the winds are howling]

I guessed the ship was around, or over, about a hundred feet in length, with three masts, though it had similar time-space dimensional manipulation efforts at least in the Captain's Cabin as I stepped inside. It was clearly smaller on the outside than it had inside, just as the Fortune's Chance had, with a large area inside with walls of wood, stone, and metal very like a house. Or, to be more accurate, like a mansion, though the architecture was some odd cross between Victorian Gothic and maybe Ancient Egyptian mixed with Tribal Orcish symbology part of me wondered. The floor was carpeted, the roof higher up than normal, the hall wider too, likely to account for our host's larger size, and make room for the statues on the sides of the entrance.

'At least there isn't a stairs I suppose' I noted coming forward with Azula behind me, along with Captain Maeani, while a male orc, dressed in…a kilt and dress suit top, with a bowler hat…thing…with sandals on his head and bare arms and shoulders. He bowed, holding a towel, or something, in his right arm "Ser, you have guests I see. Do they wish for some refreshments? Or to summon forth Miss Hebert?"

"Ah, Yeeves, good orc, good orc, indeed we do! Valiant explorers like ourselves here to lead us unto our goal at long last!" Tarquin the half-ogre Priest of the Shrouded Lord replied cheerful, beginning to take off his heavy fur cloak "If you could be a fine fellow and get our little lass…oh, and our finest liquors too! Along with cigars and jelly so we may discuss matters as proper gentleorc adventurers!"

"As you say Ser" the other orc, apparently named Yeeves, replied, coming out of the bow, motioning with his arm to a door "I shall fetch the Miss, ensure she is properly attired, and then bring refreshments, the study is, as ever, cleaned and ready for your use"

"Excellent! Excellent!" our 'host' babbled back striding/skipping towards said door, waving a hand "Come, come now! We can discuss the situation here with more privacy and with all the exciting picto-captor available to the modern priest"

I decided to voice my first question, politely, as we stepped through "I must say, for a year shipwrecked you have quite well"

"Oh, pish-posh, it's been rather dreadful, but we were well provisioned for the voyage and, perhaps luckily, if one can count it being lucky to lose any spellsail…why, we lost the Sky Hammer and Lusty Lass was battered to all hells, but they were more warship than…" he paused, shrugged as he turned as we entered the large…old timey gentleman's club? Library? Saloon?...beyond the door "Well, we made it here with our provisions well intact, and did rather extensive hunting and scavenging in the first months here"

"Yes, what was this place?" I asked further as I took a seat, a wooden chair with cushions and probably leather upholstery just after he did "And what is the overall status of your crews….basically numbers we need to carry, and what requires the defences? Ah, yes, and the Planeswalker you mentioned obviously"

"Obviously" he replied with a nod "But that we can discuss in a few moments as he is aboard the What Is Mercy?, our hospital ship under protections. I have six hundred and fifty-seven souls in this humble gentleorc's charge, or which six hundred and twenty-five are of my crews, one dying fellow, my current ward, and…well, the rest are the young ladies, and five children, of some cannibalistic natives that had been around these parts when we arrived"

He frowned, letting out an overly dramatic sigh "Uncivilized indeed! Humans for your life! Eating their own young, how truly awful! I do believe another group of them built this place, or were building it…but failed, and my own interest in the subject was rather dulled with the focus on ensuring safety. All the magic bleed over you see, from our dying fellow and the damage to the spellsails…why, we've had some minor problems with the odd monster or two over recent months"

Then did that helpless shrug again "Mutated orc-eating Reindeer! Oh, and a rather problematic white snowbear we haven't quite been able to kill off. Nasty fellow that one. Nasty indeed…" he went on as I, and the others, took off the heavier layers of our protections against the cold as the room was rather warm. Not hot, but the rom temperature was slightly higher than 'Western European' room temperature I found. Though Alyaer was quick to interrupt the blather, asking what I was about to ask.

"You mentioned an Ice Demon?"

Tarquin blinked, pausing "Ah, yes, there's one running about, hence the false camp. Wouldn't be a big problem…beyond this place having something of a sudden onset of an Age of the Frost and Cold due to volcanoes and meteors I believe. Unfortunately, we are a high magically active sort of cluster, unlike the quite magic resistant natives. It's been throwing itself against the Fire Elemental we left in the false camp for a few months now, weakening as it goes. See…"

The door opened with a faint creak, the orc…butler…opening it and stepping through with a large tray held in his hand, with a box, several bottles, and a human girl coming just behind him. Something was at the back of my mind about her as she stepped through, blinking as she saw us, glasses covered eyes flickering over me and Alyaer, to settle on Azula in a startled manner as she stepped inside. Seemed to freeze in place, then flush, and her hands started to fidget about her stomach and at her sides as if fighting the urge to move them. The outfit I suspected as it was….rather revealing with its dress cut above the knees, and split at the sides, and yet also frilly and gothic looking in it's stark whites and blacks. I didn't recognise the designs, but it had a choker collar with a diamond and rubies inset, and a low cut top and bare arms, but it was probably some sort of fashionable, exotic, and expensive dress….somewhere...

"Ah, Taylor, come, come, sit!" the half-orc mage informed the human girl like nothing was an issue with her "Now, now, don't be shy. Those courtly lessons can't have gone to waste already!"

I watched her startle, then give…a curtsy, of sorts, her voice awkward and confused "Sers, Milady, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, and for any aid that you have offered to my host"

"See, quite the elegant and refined young lady when she puts her mind to it! Not like some human females who are like monkeys in suits when you put such sorts in dress" Tarquin announced happily "Oh, and her swordplay is excellent too! Peotry less so, but she has quite the voracious attitude to my book collection….Now Tay-Tay sit, sit, we need to make use of that magnificent memory and mind of yours!"

"Ah, Ser Tarquin…okay, thank...you"

She gave him a look, eyes jerking at us as she moved, and the half-ogre blinked "Oh, this is Captain Outis, and this is Captain Maeani, and this is their aide whose name I didn't get…"

"Azula" Azula stated bluntly "Firelord Azula"

"Azula, Firelord Azula, so plenty of nobility!" Tarquin finished, as Azula hadn't spoke, and as 'Tay-Tay' took a seat beside him, after tugging at buttons on her top to ensure they were closed it looked like as glasses and bottles of liquor, and a bowl of ice, was place on the table "My ward here is from Broken Bay…"

"Brockton Bay, not Broken Bay" the girl muttered as things…click. Unfortunately "Brockton Bay"

I clicked my fingers, blinking "Ohh…Taylor Herbert…"

"Hebert!"

"Hebert, you were Weaver, with the Wards, right, the bug girl?"

She blinked. Looked at me. Blinked again, eyes narrowing and studying me "Unwritten rules? You heard…wait, no, I was Skitter…No, no, wait…are you from home? Or…"

I held up my hands "I suspect not your variant reality. Soo….not Weaver? Oh, sorry…my side of the portal sort of…well, we were spying? Sorry about that…"

"No…I was Skitter, and I don't remember any…" she muttered then looked at me again. Sighed as Tarquin waved a hand at her "Right, okay. You want to know about Dominic and the…nightmare. Its best I can't get back, isn't it?"

"Well, my dear, considering the murderous golden man god, a Lady Adventure in training has to know when to turn and run when the going isn't good!" the half-ogre stated in an almost 'teaching' tone "Now, tell us about your would-be mentor"

The girl made a face "Him. Yes…I…got my powers…"

She nodded to me "Bug powers as you put it, I was fighting Lung…ah, sorry, a Dragon Man, and well…I don't know. Then was me and there was another me, and a giant crystal, I…it…was all crushed together…and then my memories got all jumbled and I had…other powers, and everything exploded. Lisa…I mean Tattletale…"

'Fucking Sarah. Of course my personal…Sean's personal millstone…would be involved' I thought as the girl continued "Well, she and the other's pulled me free and things got strange…"

She took a breath, angry looking "Then DOMINIC turned up. Talking about cosmic destiny and how special our powers were, and It was AWESOME it was a SKITTER he'd get to train. Oh, and then we went and Mastered my friends. And started talking about killing Shadow Stalker, and then…then about Waifus and even Vista…God, she's like a fucking child…"

"Language Tay-Tay"

"Sorry Ser" the girl mumbled looking in a glass of wine as it was filled and placed before her "Sorry, he started on about all this…and just dragged us around, and attacked the Protectorate…"

She sighed "Then Scion showed up and they started fighting"

"Yes, that's when we got sucked into the insanity vortex" Tarquin finished "When the lunatic detected us and tore up dimensions like an idiot. I do believe he was…Going to Give Zion What For or something to that effect, just cruder language. Suffice to say…the strange golden entity-creature….kicked his ass as certain dimensional natives would put it. Shattering things, and then we ended up here"

I closed my eyes. Sighed, and then opened them again after taking a breath "That's the area we have to jump over, isn't it?"

Tarquin nodded serenely "Indeed, but we should be able to avoid him one thinks. He took quite the injures from our broadside. God's a bit bothered by its presence, but that's not for us to worry on. Our is but bravely flee through those savage planes to our goals beyond…maybe seal any breaches we find. That sort of thing"

I resisted a groan…