There's No Place Like Home

You Can Never Go Home

Finding themselves in a bizarre city like Sigil, the group attempts to find Osirian a way back home. The newly formed Order Of The Obsidian Dagger needs tending to if it is to survive and flourish. Aluvis Ruskin, the ageless tiefling who is a purveyor of portals directs the group towards the Clerk's Ward in Sigil. The scholars there, perhaps, have knowledge of a way back home to Diafthora back in the Netir Vale.

Ummm...so which way is north?

Moving through Sigil is disconcerting, as it's streets curve up and overhead of the group as well as circle around as they are contained within a torus. Finding citizens on the street who know directions is not difficult, as long as you ask the right race. Orcs, goblins and the like are abundant here and easy peace is kept but that doesn't mean that they will be friendly. Zaya strolling down the streets of Sigil, turns the head of an attractive male elf, who himself catches Zaya's eye. He pleads with Zaya to meet him in 3 hours at a local tavern. She demurs but not really giving him an answer. Eventually, they find the Clerk's Ward and are directed to find Rey Treeforger, the head scholar.

Inside one of the administrative buildings they find many bodies busy at work and Osirian is able to convince a novice that he is hear to deliver a singing message to the elderly clerk, after hearing that it will take a few weeks to schedule an appointment. The entire staff ceases their work to watch the old man descend from his office and listen to the message which suggests that the old man has a female admirer. Easily convincing him that there is more to the message, but the rest is intended as a private message the group retires back up to his office.

There, Osirian tries to pawn off Zaya to the old man as a date but the elf will have no part in this prostitution of herself, besides she already has a date. The group is able to get the head clerk to expedite the process of locating a portal that will take Osirian back to Diafthora with little or no time passing since their departure. The price is large though. Osirian decides to offer the stone, which is shaped like a large egg, that he has in his possession. Before he is able to complete the offer Fluffy notices that he may recognize this as a true egg. He pries off a piece of rock to reveal a gleaming bit of metal beneath. Rey Treeforger is instantly interested and offers a substantial sum of gold. Osirian thinks better of the trade and decides instead to pay the original price. Fluffy, a scholar in his own right strides off to find information on what they have just discovered about their egg-shaped stone. This after all is a place of learning and he should be able to find what he needs. He is only briefly seen by various workers, leaving random buildings muttering, "Nope, not that one.", for the next three hours.

While they wait for one of the clerks to retrieve the location of the portal Osirian requires they move off to witness Zaya's date.  The date goes fine, if you like the male elf to order for you, ignoring your own wishes and talking about himself incessantly. Realizing this is not the elf for her, Zaya departs but not before giving him a dragon scale of hers as a memento of her, as well as proof of her heroic deeds which far surpasses his.

It is now time to retrieve their map to the portal which will send Osirian home. It turns out that the portal is in the Lower Ward, the part of the city which is rife with random portals. As they approach the Lower Ward the group says their goodbyes to the halfling. It seems more of a good-bye than a 'see you soon' but shortly they turn around and leave the area as they are wary of being pulled through a random portal to a place they do not wish to go. This is Osirian's worry as well.

This part of the city is largely quiet. The grey light of 'day' has faded into a darker shade of 'night' here in Sigil. The streets fill with cold, damp fog. Osirian, map in hand, turns to face the first archway he must move through to get to his destination. Know that each doorway, archway, window or any other such opening, may prove to be a portal to somewhere, he makes a quick prayer to his god before he takes his first step through.

The odd looking dabus creatures, which are nearby tending to the their task of removing razor-vine from buildings, hear Osirian's whispered prayer and move quickly towards him. Osirian cannot see their mouths move but he hears their words none-the-less in his mind. "Do not make prayers to gods here in Sigil!" As they continue to approach menacingly, Osirian begs forgiveness as he is new to the customs of Sigil. They give Osirian a stern warning then retreat away, back to their work.

Guys? Maybe this isn't such a good idea.

Osirian moves cautiously through successive archways and after passing through each without incident moves more confidently. That is until the last archway. As his striding hand touches the threshold of the archway, the air within the archway shimmers like a ripple in water and reflected back is the image of a summer view of a river and forest from a high vantage. Osirian is just able to jump back in time in order to not be pulled through. He then tosses copper coins through the archway and each disappears while the exact view is seen but in in an entirely different season (year? decade?). Finally when the shimmer ceases to occur after tossing a copper through Osirian rushes through.

Finally reaching his destination, a simple looking plain door. He pauses only to give a thanks to his god, if only in his mind. He moves through. As he moves through, he is compelled to look back. There behind him is the figure of a tall and imposing lady in grey robes. It is The Lady Of Pain. She whispers in his mind, "You were warned!". There is no ripple. No bright light. Just Osirian walking into a stone rubble strewn building which has seen better days. Emerging to the outside he finds himself back in Diafthora standing in the still ruined keep. It is night. The scholar had given the group the impression that little or no time should have passed since their departure from Diafthora.

He continues on to Rosegate Manor, the Order's headquarters and Osirian's home. There he finds strangers eating at the main table and after his triumphant announcement of his return, he also finds no one recognizes him. Questioning the people at the table he comes to realize that 100 years has passed since the time the Order Of The Obisidian Dagger was founded.

Dum dum dummmmmmm.

Without Music, Life is A Journey Through A Desert
3, 000 XP

Meanwhile back in Sigil the group prepares themselves for their journey to Athas. Some trading in metal armor for more desert suitable armor. All purchasing water and supplies for a desert journey. They then follow Kirvin to The Hive, a sprawling slum like area of Sigil. There they climb through a dark window. Fluffy who has never experienced true dark before is nervous. He nervously reaches to Zaya for comfort. Zaya understanding his fear.....pushes him unceremoniously through. 'Boy' who has not been without a mentor to look up to and emulate, sticks close to Zaya.

Transported to the desert world of Athas, the group finds themselves half buried around the peak of a massive pyramid buried beneath the sand. Once extricated they travel under the blazing heat of the large red sun. Zaya is the first to succumb to the heat and she depletes almost a whole days ration of water. Moving on, Sparrow and 'Boy' are also unable to continue under the stifling heat and they too waste much of their water ration. They are quickly finding that they were fortunate to have purchased extra water/food/sun protection unguent rations.

Reaching a rocky outcrop they decide to rest for the night. A debate ensues over the merits of day versus night travel. Each presents a hardship. Day travel risks Sun Sickness. Night travel must endure plunging temperatures and risking unseen dangers. As they begin to rest, Fluffy awakens the rest as he has heard distant sounds which he doesn't recognize. Soon enough it is revealed that it is a sand skiff. Kirvin informs them that they are Slavers. It looks like elves aboard the ship but different from the elves the group is used to. The elves of this world are tall and lean. Built for the desert.

As the group readies themselves, they witness a mul, a large well muscled bald humanoid, emerge from the nearby rocks, run along the side of the skiff and leap aboard. The group works together with the mul to defeat the slavers. They had heard Kirvin and Aluvis speak of the nature of Arcane magic in Athas. Now they witness firsthand the power and destruction which accompanies arcanic magic. Sparrow issues forth a spell and feels the draw and seduction of the arcane. His power is amplified but everyone around him suffers a blow to their health. Kirvin himself collapses unconscious.

The battle moves on and around the skiff. 'Boy' too feels the pull of arcane magic but resists pulling more power than he needs. Zaya is able to shoot and arrow from atop a rocky outcrop and into the head of an elf below her, embedding the arrow deep within the skull. Sparrow uses his teleportation powers to devastating effect. 'Boy' stays back out of the fray and continues to rain magic missles upon the enemies.

The mul, Ninaki, uses his brute strength and toughness to move through multiple enemies and despite little armor is able to move swiftly and fend off attacks. In fact, the rest of the group notices that even though their enemies are not fully armored in the manor they are used to, the enemies make up for that in their sheer toughness.

Finally, the enemies are overcome and the group befriends Ninaki and his monkey companion, Osworld. Ninaki, perhaps not the brightest torch in the dark, is a valuable ally. They also now have at their disposal a sand skiff. Together they suss out the method of how to direct the skiff and in the morning are off.  Soon, they arrive at a fair sized walled city.

Unfortunately for the group some of the desert elves just outside the city gates, claim that the skiff is stolen and the group is in fact slaves who have killed their masters. Even though a couple of them, Kirvin and Ninaki, are able to produce papers of freedom the other cannot. They are sent to see a local council member, Damari Leafgaze. He is unmoved by their story and decides trial by battle within the arena is the solution. In fact, that is usually Damari's solution of choice in most matters as can be heard by the massive sounds of cheering from the crowds within the arena.



MetaGame Spoiler Inside

(DM Note: I had figured out two plans based on the skiff. If the group took the skiff they would be accused of being escaped slaves. If they didn't they would have to travel 3 more days through the desert and have difficulties that way. I'm kind of glad the group took the skiff though.

That was MY copper piece!

Coins In The Coffer
2,900 XP

The group soon enough finds themselves in the arena. On each end of the arena is a large stone bowl. Throughout the arena floor there is large bushes which have sharp grabbing vines. And in the center is a scattering of coins. Ninaki recognizes the game. Coins In The Coffer.

They have several minutes to collect a coin, one at a time and return them to the bowl. At the end of the time, whoever has the most coins wins. Killing is definitely an option.

What ensues is a total one sided blood bath. The adventurers, working as a well oiled team, are able to collect 7 coins in their bowl, while the opposing side has collected only one. But due to devious cunning one of the enemy muls decides to topple the bowl containing the groups coins. and the group looks like they shall lose. In a flurry of activity in the last couple of rounds they are able to kill most of the opposing team while collecting up enough coins in their coffer to win.....by one coin.

This is a world much different to their own. But they still kick ass.


MetaGame Spoiler Inside

(DM Note: I don't think there has ever been a time in our games together in which I actively try to beat the group. But I got caught up in the game within the game and was having so much fun trying to make it hard for the group. I think it ended up more fun by winning at the last moment by a single coin anyway.