[Planescape] Squaring the Circle Redux - IC

[Old Fezziwig]

"Hmm. For me, at least, I'll need to prepare some more appropriate spells if we're to go to the Abyss. What awaits us there? Likely fiends. More fiends. And then some more. The Fortress of Indifference, however, sounds like a place a Dustman could settle down. If it weren't in the Abyss, of course."

 

[Thanee]

Zoe Windwalker

After leaving back through the portal, Zoe says: “Let's head back to Sigil for now. Then we can see how we go on further. Maybe we can find a way from there.”

 

[Sephiroth no Miko]

The trip back out of Shamiq's lair is as gut-wrenching as the trip in, but at least the heat and humidity are back to a much more tolerable level. In the mansion's vestibule, as you are discussing your next course of action, Rupert tugs on Burrow's sleeve again. "Burrow and his big friends leaving Torch now, yes, yes? To look for Mayder? *yip*" The little kobold hesitates, then plunges on anxiously, his words all coming in a rush and not terribly coherently. "Yous saves Rupert's life, I no worth much, not 50 jinx, oh no, no... *yip*... and then you sez ta be good, watch and listen, and I watches and I listens, *yip* but... but..." Rupert trails off miserably, wringing the ragged remains of his shirt. Suddenly, he drops to his knees and clutches at Burrow's shins, bawling piteously. "I no wanna die!! I no have enuff jink to pay debt but I no wanna go learnin' goodness in Abyss!! *yip* Iz even worse than Torch!! Fiends do especially horrible thingz to good people!! Ask Rupert sum other service, Ibegyou, pleasepleaseplease!! *yip*"

 

[Ashy]

Burrow looks to Rupert and it seems that he suddenly realizes what just happened to the poor kobold. He gasps quickly and then grabs the kobold by the arm and leaps back into the portal with him...

 

[deadestdai]

Scratching her backside absentmindedly, Flaust listens to the high-pitched barks and witterings and raises an eyebrow at the little kobold. A cruel smile crosses her features and she steps over to the small dog-like creature.

I is sOOoo hungry! Rupert, I'm not sure yer aware of our li'l group's ways, but when we're hungry, the smallest member 'as to give's his self over to be eaten! So 'urry up and get's yerself ready to be cut apart in even lumps so's the rest of us can fill our poor empty bellies?

 

[Sephiroth no Miko]

"Eeep!! Waaaaaah!!" The terrified kobold flails about in a blind panic as Burrow bodily drags him through the portal once more, away from the smirking Flaust. "Noooooooo!! No wanna be fed to yucky old fiend!! Or cut up and eaten by scary tiefer lady!! Waaaaaah!! I will go to Abyss, yes, yes!! I be good!!" With a whoosh, the two of them find themselves panting in the torpid air of Shamiq's lair once more.

The ruckus, of course, hardly goes unnoticed by the cavern's sole occupant. Shamiq is where you left him, looking a little nonplussed. "What now?" he sighs.

 

[Ashy]

Burrow first looks at Rupert, the look on his face is one mixed with mirth at Flaust and concern for his new friend. "Don't worry, now lad. She'll not be eatin' ya. I'll make sure an' certain o' that..." He then turns and looks at the fiend and points at Rupert. "Release him from his oath, if you don't mind. T'will for suren be th' death o' him and the poor soddin' leatherhead knew not th' words he spoke. You can sink yer claws deeper into me if'n that's what ya need, but I ask you ta release this one."

 

[Sephiroth no Miko]

Shamiq scratches idly at a festering postule along its side. "He swore on his soul," the fiend iterates implacably, unmoved. "It has nothing to do with yours."

Meanwhile, it is slowly sinking into Rupert that he isn't about to be eaten (or worse), at least not yet. Sniffling, the kobold looks up at Burrow timidly, still clutching his knees in a deathgrip. "*yip* I no have to go to Abyss?" he asks, almost hopefully.

Shamiq shifts on its "throne" of mucus and slime with a hideous squelching noise, and appears to peer at the two of them with an incisive gaze, despite the rancid milkiness of its eyes. Its body may be decrepit and feeble but it houses an intellect of frightening proportions, and the fiend grasps the crux of the situation in an instant. "Is this what all that noise is about?" it wheezes fitfully. "Going to that godsforsaken plane?" It waves a gray, gnarled hand negligently. "I care not where you go, or how you get there, little ones, only that you free the Maeldur from its burden when-- or if-- you find it. The rest you can sort out amongst yourselves."

 

[Ashy]

Burrow scowls, "No, t'is is nae what 't'is about, you old liar. T'is about th' fact that ya think ya have m'soul, but in fact, ya do not. If ya want it, then ye'll free this poor creature from his bond to ya."

 

[Sephiroth no Miko]

Shamiq is beginning to look slightly exasperated. "I never asked for any of your souls, neither yours nor his. I asked for your word-- sworn on your souls-- to free the Maeldur." It snorts, "I assure you, if I was trawling for souls, I certainly wouldn't have let the lot of you get away with all the sloppy swearing I heard."

The fiend peers at the kobold detachedly, then suggests, "Perhaps you should ask your scaly companion what he thinks. He seems to be under the impression he has a bond to you, not I."

Rupert looks confusedly first at Shamiq, then back at Burrow. Hesitantly, he tries to repeat his thoughts. "Yous saved my life. *yip* Yous say 'be good', watch and follow, I watches and follows, and try to learn. Yous very strong, even stronger than Fanatrax! *yip* Yous no fear ghost or slimy fiend... yous barmy enough to go to Abyss! *yip*" The kobold looks down, tail twitching agitatedly. "But I's only little runt. I follows to Abyss, I wind up in dead-book, yes, yes. *yip* But yous said, repay life by learning...."


On the other side of the portal, while the party is pondering their options, Blade remembers that her compass ring may help point towards a proper portal once they returned to Sigil. Failing that, there are always faction archives to sift through-- well, not counting the Xaositects-- and Vlad needed to check up on the magical conditions for the Abyss anyway. Moreoever, Lissandra the Gate-Keeper is a well-lanned blood on the dark of portals, and Kiaros knows she can sometimes be found at the World Serpent Inn-- that's where he first ran into her a few years back.