Shade

It is dark.

You are likely to be eaten by a Void Dragon.

Each of you is floating in a void of the greatest darkness you can imagine.

It all consuming, leeching the heat from your bones. A singly voice echoes in the darkness. There is a deep rumble from the empty void and then another and another. It continues to repeat, endlessly, until you realize it's not so much a rumbpe as a voice. Just as you begin to realize what it's saying, you awaken with a single word in your mind.

"KRILZOR"

"...KRILZOR? Kill Sone?" Svarshan asks. He's quiet after that, deep in thought. And it's cold. It's deeply cold. "Ssea krill?" he asks himself. And then he gets up and walks over to the ashes. There had been fire there, earlier. He crouches, and sets to making the fire again.

And then he's going to sit in it.

Stirling shakes his head as he lifts it off a work bench in the artificers guild. "Is this...a key? a clue?" he says looking at the chrome gauntlets on the bench, quickly scribbling the word he remembers on some scrap paper. He has been trying to figure out if there was some kind of void artifice and it wouldn't be the first time a dream held a clue.

Durrankar looks up as Svarshan awakens....and hears the word on the brightscale's lips. "You had the same dream, brightscale....." he says sitting up. "Krilzor. Almost sounds like a dragon has awakened....."

Astaren offers a long yawn, as he sits up and glances around. "Oh a blizzard." staring at the snow blowing around him. A quick snaping of his fingers and an endure elements is cast. he stands up and looks down the mountains, "Oh I was crossing them... must of gotten interupted." shrugging his shoulders he pulls out his notebook, writes down the name, and starts to walk his way down the redridge mountains.

Throughout the rest of your morning, the word keeps ringing in your ears.

Kravar sits up suddenly in bed, surrounded by furs. There's an occasional creak or groan of wood like the sounds you might hear on a boat. But the sound of wind makes it seem mire like an airship. Kravar reaches out a grabs for the hilt of a sword leaning against the bed. He pulls it free of it's scabbard and the glowing light pouring from the blade lights up the tiny cabin and the large Aersir. "Krilzor?" he repeats. Then he fumbles for the hatch and emerges on the deck, high in the sky over Alexandria's port. "What in the realms is a Krilzor?!"

"A dragon. ...dragonss awakening thesse days do not. ...it iss not a good thing. There wass the great dragon ssealed beneath Alexandross. There iss Heth. I cannot think it iss a good thing. What do the keeperss ssay?" Svarshan asks Durrankar. The warrior-caste makes to stand, as though they should go over there, soon.

GAME: Astaren rolls knowledge/history: (12)+21: 33

There's a start and a shriek as Kisaiya sits up in bed. Her head turns one way, turns the other, turns back... She blinks and gives a rub to her arms as the chill still washes over her. A shudder, "Blah." She mutters, a turn as she slips out of bed to make herself some tea. "What in the hells was that."

Svarshan slips with Durrankar into the fires of the keeper-caste. Smaller than other castes, but so, so important. He leans forward, sharing words with some of the elders, there.

Durrankar speaks with the keepers at length with Svarshan....especially about the dream. In the end, Svarshan and He have a destination.....and they go. Likely, Svarshan on Srassha....and Durrankar changed to a swiftclaw to accompany...

"...ssa," he says, when one of the keepers comes back. "Where to, now, sshaman? To the Ssity, to find out more?" Svarshan chuffs, blowing out warm air. "One had hoped to spend time at home, asleep." He stands then, and begins to saddle his own swiftclaw, Srassha.

Durrankar says, "Yes, Brightscale. If you and I had the same dream, there must've been others.""

Astaren hums as he walks down the mountain, enjoying the sceanic vista. he puts his book away and pulls out a map, makes a marking and puts it away, "Whelp wonder what that is." planning on letting the big guns get informed and going back to his studies.

Svarshan swings up into the saddle then. He looks to the shaman a while. Then, grins. "Srassha ssays she will race you," he says. Then, flicks tail to Srassha's side--and they race to Alexandria!

Durrankar changes to a swiftclaw and races Srassha!

Astaren pauses a moment as he taps his chin, 'Oh wait..." pulling out another book, as he seems to have a library in his sack. Flip flip flip, pause. His face lightning up as he grins. He quickly cast a fly spell, and moves his way towards Alexandria as well, "Who to drag along with me on this adventure..."

GAME: Kisaiya rolls Profession/Merchant: (4)+13: 17

Svarshan and Srassha come into the city behind Durrankar, whose long legs pull him swiftly (haha!) ahead. "...it hass been ssome time ssince I have been to Dragonier. I...as soon as we sset foot, Heth may know we are there," he's saying to the scaled. "Maybe we could sshare words with ssome of the refugees?"

GAME: Kravar rolls 2+2: (4)+2+2: 8

Stirling has no idea what the name could mean but he starts in the general reference in the libraries that the guild might hold, failing that ask a few of the other higher ranking artificers if they have ever heard of it. This one is sticking with him, so it must be important. Failing that though... maybe the Arcanist University?

GAME: Kisaiya rolls 5: (11)+5: 16

Stirling does finaly leave the artificers guild for the University, where he may run into Kravar. He has a clue now though and decides to do some targeted research at one of the best libraries he has access to.

Astaren flies by Svarshan and Durrankar, pauses in his flying. Snap his fingers to himself and nods, "Svarhsan, you up for visiting one of the few remaining flying islands in Dragonier, Krilzor? Of course you are, there is most likely evil, we should go recuit some more people." nodding as he lands on the ground and starts to walk into the city.

Svarshan gives the wizard an odd look as he flies by. "Sstrange weather. We are having," he says blandly. Then, "We are off to sspeak with the. Refugees. There may be ssome among them, willing to sshare words, of what they remember. You are welcome to come."

Durrankar cannot speak as he is a swiftclaw....and he was racing Srassha. he nudges Srassha on the way by as if to say 'I won!'

Kisaiaya pulls on her boots and then the armo... err her dress. Yes, dress, because she doesn't wear armor anymore. She's wearing the maroon one, it's like the blue dress but a different color. Long, circle-scoop neckline, silver filigree and buttons. And from there she sets out, a sort of oddity that's stuck in her mind as she considers to mumble as she walks along. A twitch of her eye as she seems lost in thought, a walk along before those mumbles bring some attention from a refugee. One that tells her - Oi, i know that name - and she shakes the information out of them. Literally.

Kravar comes across Stirling, by now the swordsman looks a bit frustrated. Shouldn't these bookworms be jumping at the chance to pour through their dusty tomes? "Hey! I know you! Stirling! Maybe you can help me with something. Where should I go if I want to learn of something called 'Krilzor'?"

Astaren tilts his head and blinks to svarshan, "remember of islands falling for when Animus fell? That was years ago, this is long before the war you know. something on the island you know." shrugging his shoulders, "But I am going to see how else had the dream, gather them all up, and then teleport us to the island. Meet us in the temple square in 30 minutes." nodding as he turns and continues on.

Stirling looks at Kravar "Damnit." he all he says in return at first. "I was hoping it was artifice related, its not, its a city in Dragonier. We should try and found out who else had the dream." he says by way of explination. "Probably a trap, so some light recon in force would likely serve us well."

"...I remember meeting the remainss of Animus, ssa." Svarshan says thoughtfully. "And coming to termss with what happened to Him. ...then holding piesses of the godhood in my claws. I remember that. Rune ssquandered it, and made foolss of themsselves." He taps Srassha's sides, and heads into Alexandria, to see what is going on.

Durrankar is off as well.....and it doesn't take long for them to make it into the city. It's a straight shot after all, and Durrankar makes a left into the Sage Orum's plaza. It shouldn't be hard to run into others there.

Kravar draws back slightly. "Dragonier? Wonderful." He peers at Stirling . "You had the same dream...and you think it was not just us?" He frowns slightly, thining. "If we need to learn more of that gods-forsaken land, we may be able to do so here in Alexandria. There are refugees from Dragonier."

Svarshan pauses along the way, and unclasps a dark stone from one of his pouches. He holds this out for the swiftclaw beside him. "We will need a wayss to hide, onsse we are there. Can you veil us from undead, sshaman?" he asks. And then they're in the plaza, and he quiets, looking concerned.

Astaren walks by Kravar and Stirling, "Nope Svarshan and myself had the same dream. Maybe Svarshans new pet to, some clawed creature may be coming. Could be a druid, maybe?" shrugging his shoulders, "Meet up in the Temple square in 25 minutes and we can make travel plans. I can teleport us pretty close, or we can take the slow way." turning to head into the library.

Kisaiya is sort of half way inbetween the Mountain Road and the Airstation as she was meandering toward Sandy's from where her place is these days. She shakes the person some more since there's talk of Dragonier, but the person seems mostly to be only a little knowledgable on the topic. Crossing her arms tightly she continues muttering and tromping off in the direction of Sandy's. Thankfully, this means taking her through the Sage Orum's Plaza.

Stirling nearly bumps into Kisaiya as he leaves the library "Surely other people got the dream about Krilzor, we are not that special..." he says right as the near run in cuts him short. "Watch it." he growls at Kisaiya.

Kerbasi has arrived.

Durrankar changes back to his normal form and....looks at Kisaiya. "Peace on your nest, Softskin......"

Kisaiya stares at Stirling, raises an eyebrow, and gives a very unlady like gesture, "You're the one who nearly ran into me, thank-you-very much." The a look toward Durr.

"DURR! How are you? Still as grumpy as ever?" An eyebrow wiggle, "Where's Svar? Is he at Sandy's? I'm headed to Sandy's. I had the strangest dream."

Durrankar says, "Krilzor, I'm going to guess, Kisaiya. It seems you are not the only one who had that dream....""

"He sent a letter to th' temple. Somethin' about needin a priest and some dreams?" Kerbasi asks. The young priest arrives not too long after.

Durrankar says, "Greetings, Mourner. I imagine Brightscale returned to Mictlan to protect the nests in my absence. Hopefully he doesn't dig up the demon peppers early.""

Stirling looks at the others, red artificial eye glaring at Kisaiya "Seems we all had the dream then? Krilzor? Its a city in Dragonier. We should do some light scouting in force but be prepared for a trap." he notes as a matter of fact.

Kisa stares at Durrankar, a frown, a hard - long - stare. Another long moment, then to Stirling, Kerbasi, Durr...

"YES!" She flings her arms up in the air, "YES! That's the word exactly! How did you know? Has Astaren been spying on my dreams again? Where you all there too? YOU BETTER HAVE CLOSED YOUR EYES EARLIER!" She crosses her arms over her chest again.

...eventually, you're all gathered in a room at the Explorer's Guild because /why not/.

You've gotten some strange looks from the Guild's clerks and workers, of course, since nobody hired any of you for any kind of job today.

STILL, THERE YOU ARE.

Astaren is very grumpy, "I could of just teleported us there." holding a topological map, 'Height... drift, distance, I could of been within... 1 mile of the the target zone.." grumbling again and crossing his arms as he sits at the back.

Durrankar says, "one mile is a long distance to fall, Astaren." he says as he walks into the guild office...."

Astaren grumbles again, "I have feather fall..."

Kisaiya stares at Astaren, a narrowing of her eyes at him, "/You/." She says with a measure of conviction, and she tries to poke him in the chest, "You were spying on my dreams weren't ya? Did you bring everyone else along with? Trying to /spy/ in on a Princess's dreams?" Stern fase.

The guild! Perfect. There Kravar finds some aspiring squire to help him put on his armor. Rejoining the others, he glances around. "If we really are travelling to Dragonier - hiw are we to get there fly? Or some other kind of sorcery?"

Astaren blinks at Kisaiya, "Well first off your title would not have to be..." cutting himself off. then scowls, "No I did not do anything to your dreams or spying on them. I have to be invited in really, I could force my way but you would know. Got a lot of training to do for stealth, and even then I would never!" grumbling a bit more. A glance to Kravar, "They want to charter an airship..." grumbling as he pulls out a book and starts to read.

Stirling nods to Astaren "If you are confident in your calculations, I am prepared to be teleported. Just be sure to have one ready to leave as well. I would not want to drop directly in either, it could be a trap so we want to approach with caution and enough firepower to toast an army of undead." he adds entirely seriously. "We all had the dream." he finaly adds to Kisaiya.

Kerbasi has borrowed one of the desks. He leans on it, working through paperwork as he half-heartedly listens. "Is everyone here up to date on their Coffin Insurance?" he asks, out of the blue. "Kravar, you've put on some muscle since I last saw y'. We may need t'update measurements before we go out." He makes a note. "On th' other hand, are we lookin' for anything specific, or know why th' dreams happened? Th' undead there are constantly on th' watch."

GAME: Kerbasi used a Wand of Coffin Insurance Plan.

Kisa stares at Astaren, a narrow of her eyes, and then she looks around, "I say we take the airship. I'm not really a fan of teleporting and I'd rather see what we're going into instead of just appearing in the middle of it."

Durrankar says, "Let usss take the airship. the teleporting OUT would be a good idea if we get into bigger trouble."

Thyrson leans on his staff, wincing a little. He leans forwards, and rumbles, "We can always leave by teleport, as well -- I can also do this." He nods to Durrankar. "The only danger being that some of Heth's dragons see us coming inbound."

GAME: Kisaiya rolls Diplomacy: (5)+15: 20

Astaren holds up a finger and waggles it to Kisaiya, smiling a bit with some support, 'Well you see, we are flying into the middle of hostile territory, full of hostile undead. A airship is hughely obvious and be a giant beacon of attack me. A teleport is subtle and gets us in there quiet and hidden. I would have two options of getting back, dreamwalking, or a second teleport." Then points to Thyrson, "Double insurance!"

...well...

The good news is that Kisa does find an airship willing to make the trip.

They have this new magictech engine they're eager to test out.

Brundle and Fythe are both nodding to each other. "Yes, of course! We can get you right into Dragonier in a matter of hours! No problem!"

GAME: Kerbasi refreshes spells.

Stirling eyes the two gnomes "Only if I can check out the engines first, I don't fly on deathtraps." he says grimly.

Durrankar nods to the gnomes. "All right. if possible, we're going to keep you out of harm's way." he says before looking to Stirling and shaking his head.

Astaren grumbles as he finds himself a spot on the airship and grumps.

Thyrson's shoulders slump when he sees who's been procured. He nods to Stirling. "That kind of precaution is wise." A look to Brundle and Fythe. "Just how new is this design? Is it theoretical, or have you used it to propel an airship before?"

"We just finished it yesterday," says Brundle, stroking his short beard. "We already hgad our 'maiden flight', though!"

"Sure," replies Fythe to Stirling.

GAME: Stirling rolls craft/artifice+2: (9)+23+2: 34

Kisaiya breaths easy on the airship, knowing she now won't be throwing up on the trip at least. She fidgets from one foot to the other, and looks around. Almost like she might be looking for someone who may be going for parachutes or some such. A frown, "Nope... No Serra." A sigh and she looks about again.

Durrankar tkaes a deep breath and looks at Kisaiya. "No serra here."

Stirling returns from checking out the engine, rubbing his temples between the forefinger and thumb of his Titanfist. "You know what... it will work. Lets just leave it at that. Although... its clever, I have to admit. Just... well it should work." he says sounding far more worried than he should.

Kerbasi continues to sketch out ideas, and take notes. He hooks one foot over the other, and scribes away. When Stirling comes back, he frowns briefly, as though well, sad. Then, continues to write.

Durrankar doesn't seem too worried, even after Stirling checks out the engines. "after you have dropped us off....I want you to get out of here. We can find another way back, but I don't want you to die as well." he says to the gnomes.

Thyrson does look worried. However, he's there nonetheless. A glance at Stirling. "I don't want to know, do I." It really is a statement. "Well, then. IT's find out if this is a cry for help or a trap."

"...they'd get to meet the Gray Lady, though," the Mourner says, almost to himself. He still seems sad. Stirling had to come back and report the engine MIGHT work, after all. Poor priest. He writes a few more lines in his journal. "Do w'know anything other than there's a talkin' void?"

...and off you go!

The airship is a small one, at least. It's enough to fit all of you and your things alongside a two-man crew.

That'd be Brundle and that'd be Fyhte, naturally. It does have a single magitech cannon for protection mounted on its bow.

Alongside a figurehead of a gnomish woman who is carrying beers on her head.

At any rate, it soon powers up and lifts into the sky with you aboard, though in its scarcely furnished below-decks.

"All, right! Everyone grab hold of something! WE're ready to move!"

There's nothing to grab hold of.

Kravar turns his head to look at Stirling. "You looked at the - the engines? Are we going to fo faster than normal airships?" He raises one hand overhead and tries to brace it against something but it doesn't seem very stable.

Durrankar sits down. it's the next best thing to grabbing on to something. Stirling simply sreads his legs to adopt a wider stance. "I have no idea, never seen engines like these in action or knew that they were even possible. Its all based on research which is considered quite..." he looks at the two gnomes "... gnomish. But it appears to work and I don't think we are in any imminent danger."

Astaren glances around, see's nothing to grab onto, and frowns. Shakes his head and quickly whips out a spell, a web. Putting a web he entangles himself into for the trip. That way he can just hang there reading a book the whole time.

Thyrson gets to the centerline of the craft, where the motion is least. Then he settles himself as best he can, wincing as he does so. When he's good and braced, he closes his eyes and waits.

Kerbasi winces as his head gets knocked against the wall during takeoff. "Heh," he says. Well, that will leave a bruise. For a moment, just a moment, he considers healing it. ...but, "...not bad. There's no need t'invoke th' Lady for such a small'un. Especially for m'self." Then ow. Thud, occasionally, as the airship moves forward.

The airship starts to move. Conventional, at first, yes, lifting into the sky and cresting higher. And then higher. And then higher than most airships you've been in.

"ON THE COUNT OF THREE. ONE.."

And then it hits.

This... /intense/ force that knocks all of you for a loop. The airship is going at incredible speed for an airship!

... it is also vibrating like it might come apart at any moment. It's going to lsat a while. It's kind of enmiserating.

After waht feels like an enternity (it was actually about five hours), things begin to slow down. "Uh... guys? COme on up. You might wanna see this."

Indeed, you're over the ashen lands of Dragonier and head of you is where the city is... supposed to be?

It's enveloped in an orb as black as night, the entire island in the sky encased in darkness.

This could be a bad sign.

Kerbasi runs his hand through his hair as he stands. "Well. This'll be bad," he says. He tucks his books and things away. What replaces them of course, are sweet rolls. He munches, then offers one to Kisaiya, "Yoo wanf one?" he asks.

Kravar leans over the edge of the railing. After a moment he withdraws a spyglass he carries for just such occasions, and peers through it. "Witchcraft. Nothing natural, that's for certain." After stating the obvious Kravar lowers the spyglass and then offers it to other party members in case they want to take a look.

When the airship begins it's flight, Durrankar starts skidding backwards....not unlike a dog with an itchy butt...except he's not doing it on purpose.

Then he puts his clows on the floor....and he stops moving....

Thyrson comes up, moving slowly and painfully. That was hard on his old bones. Old, giant bones. As he gets onto the deck, he stares at the orb for a long moment, taking a look at it through Kravar's spyglass. "A whole city." His lips press together tightly.

Astaren stands up stretches, 'That wasn't so bad." pulling out a few webs from his hair. He makes his way to the top and nods, "Yep, looks about right." A glance to Kravar, "Witchcraft is perfectly natural, it is a subsidary study of arcane magics in a semi... err yea. That is not normal of course." cutting himself off as he looks at the island, "So, barrier we cannot get in, or something that only creates unnatural darkness?"

Kisaiya takes one of them and looks at it, turning it over and over in her hands as she tilts her head to the side.

Kerbasi takes out another sweet from his pocket. This time, he's found a slice of pie. "Yeah, that looks pretty bad." Pie helps. He has another slice, or two. It's a habit. In this case, a nervous one. "...it probably goes all th' way around it. Ah...but there may be a way t'tell." He passes Kisaiya another pie, and then goes to lean forward, staring at the thing.

Durrankar comes up to the deck and.....stares at the orb of darkness. "This is not good.....at all." he then holds out his hand for a sweet roll from Kerbasi. "this may be the last decent tasting snack for a while, Mourner.