For More Than Glory

[Memnus]

In the back of the cave, where the real world had a shattered and collapsed pile of rubble, the wall of this cave seems to be made of deep black glass. The barrier pushes into the side of the cave like a jet bubble, and as the crashes and chaos of Gadreman's frenzy subside, whispers and moans still seem to echo in the cave, quiet enough to almost be your imagination. On closer inspection, there are faces behind the glass - some clearer than others. One of the clearest is recognizeable as Henrik, Elke's suitor. His eyes are closed and his expression is blank.

 

[crystorix]

Rolf approaches the wall cautiously to get a better look. "Fleck, what do you make of this?"

 

[Memnus]

Fleck looks at the wall, and frowns deeply. "Oh, that's not good." He steps up near it and holds a hand out towards it, then draws it back. "I'm no planologist, but this looks like shadowstuff to me. Which is odd, because this almost definitely isn't the Shadow plane."

He sighs, almost certainly getting blank looks from the rest of the group. "Where we usually see one world, it's generally accepted that there are in fact three planes. The Material is where most of what we care about goes on. Shadow is a dark plane, a twisted and lightless mirror of the Material, but shadowstuff can be easily manipulated into mostly-real stuff. A lot of illusions play games with shadowstuff. Ether, the third plane, is spoken of as entirely empty except for mist. Not even any ground." He looks back at the wall. "It's what's been bothering me about this place. Too full to be Ether, too bright to be Shadow. If it is one of the two, something's very wrong."

 

[firehorse]

Valdir frowns a bit at Rolf's complete lack of response to being given an obviously valuable magic item. Then he shrugs as he too turns towards the strange wall.

After listening to Fleck's explaination, and only really understanding bits and pieces, Valdir chimes in, "Perhaps, somehow, the three got combined or connected so that each exhibits qualities of the others."

 

[firehorse]

After a few moments of thought, Valdir looks as if he has an idea. "Well, if this is some sort of cage, their captors will likely have the key." With that, Valdir proceeds to search the creatures and the surrounding area.

 

[Memnus]

The creatures themselves carry only their swords and their bows. The cave does indeed have a niche where there was one in the real world, containing a pile of coins and gems (including a flawless yellow-tinted diamond nealy an inch across), but no key.

((See post in News and Views))

 

[crystorix]

Rolf took the ring, but his mind is more focused somewhere else at the moment.

"I don't get it. What did they want with these people? Obviously not as slaves. Seemingly not to eat. Though if they wanted their food fresh...."

Rolf shakes head. "Even if, it still seems like too much effort. If they like fresh food, kill them and eat them on the spot. I think they had some other purpose, but I'm not seeing what it is."

Rolf continues to contemplate.

"So, Fleck, what would happen if I touched this shadowstuff?"

 

[Memnus]

"Generally... nothing. It'll feel like whatever material it's trying to imitate... glass maybe? Normally, on the Material, once you know it's shadowstuff you don't have to believe in it. Here, though, it's as real as we are."

(Who's carrying the naga's gems at the moment, anyone?)

 

[crystorix]

Rolf picks up a piece of a shattered crate and tosses it gently against the barrier.

((dunno))

 

[firehorse]

Valdir contemplates the situation for awhile. Then, his face turns to one of combined horror and disgust as an idea surfaces, "I wonder if these creatures are like some normal insects that paralyze their prey live and then inject their larvae inside to gestate and grow, using the host body as food."

((I think either Fleck has them in the cart or Meier would have them))