Planescape 3.5e - Cold Black Mask

[Dire Lemming]

"That so? I'll keep it in mind." Anthony replies, still smiling wryly. "So what's the chant with you Lilly?" As he talks, he start casting about for a place where they can sit and talk.

 

[Zurai]

Sindr practically bounces in the saddle as the horses fly through the air above/below/through Sigil, exclaiming to his companions as he points to various wondrous examples of architecture around the city.

When the horses finally land, Sindr reluctantly dismounts and looks longingly after them as they fly back to their stable. He half-whispers, "Onna t'ese days I'mma learn t'do t'at m'self." Squaring his shoulders, he turns and grins at his companions. "Well, t'at was fun. Wha' now?"

He says little as the group proceeds into the boarding house, though he waves a cheery good-bye to Tony. Once he, Istvan, Heinrich, and Hagen are secure in their room, he lets out a long, slow sigh.

"I'm not sure whether to be excited or terrified, honestly. I've wanted to see Sigil since I learned of it, but not because a good friend was kidnapped by devils! And now we're being followed invisibly... I hope we shook the raven, but I doubt it." He notices his companions' looks as he lets his dialect slip away and grins broadly at them. "What, you didn't really think I was incapable of talking like a normal person, did you? That's all for flavor and show. This is serious." He waves one hand in dismissal. "So, what do we do now?"

 

[Cage-Rattler]

"So, what do we do now?"

Hagen gave a short chuckle as Sindr easily dropped the "country bumpkin" act, seemingly forgetting his own odd previous statements.

"Fascinating as this place is, I would prefer to find a way back to Marsember; back to my wife Clara. I wouldn't mind returning here someday, when I'm better prepared, but for now I feel very much the fish out of water. Besides," he added, "the sooner we put some distance between those fiend-followers and us, the better."


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Forcefully taking his arm, Lilly dragged Anthony over to the nearby beverage vendor and secured two steaming hot cups. They took a seat on the curb while chatting and sipping the thick, bittersweet liquid. As they talked, the aasimar noted that Lilly -- ever bored with routine -- had changed her appearance slightly since he last saw her: someone had masterfully carved flowing swirls and designs into the black horns that curved back over her head.

"...And Cuatha said I'm a natural Sensate, so the Society's set me up with a kip of my own! Well, not really my own - I share it with the other factotums - but I get my own room! What about you, Tony; where are you banging about nowadays? Heard you were on a little ride through Elysium; how'd ya twig to that?"

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Heinrich nods. "I think the sooner we are gone from this place the better, but we must be cautious. To leave by the method we arrived we would need to figure out a way to activate the mask, and to do that we would most likely need to spread knowledge of its existence to others. Surely the denizens of this place must have some alternate means of traveling between worlds if they treat it so blandly, perhaps we can secure passage back to your home via another route and study the matter further there."

 

[Dire Lemming]

Anthony listens intently to Lilly's story, smiling, nooding, and laughing at all the right parts. He shrugs at the mention of Elysium. "Nice place, really, but it seemed like it'd give me the yawn after a while. Lotsa plants and grass n' stuff, but I didn't see anyone else around. I was lucky though. A Deva came by who seemed to 'ave nothin better to do an' brought me to a portal back to the cage, so 'ere I am." He took another sip from his drink, and smacked his lips a few times to deal with the taste.

"Met some odd primes today. Once o' em fell out o' a portal when I was bangin' aroun' in the Bazaar. Got dragged off my a Barbazu 'fore I could talk to im, but then three more popped out just a moment later looking for 'im. So I ended up leadin' em to the soddin' temple o' the lords o' the nine, an' then their friend comes on out like nothin's happened to 'im." Anthony shakes his head in disbelief. Well, I took em on those flyin' horses, over here to make kip. Hopefully they'll stay outa trouble. They got a spiker mindin' them now, so I guess I don' need to worry."

 

[Cage-Rattler]

"If these portals are fairly common to this city, someone should know of one that would lead us home," Hagen mused. "Perhaps we can ask the locals if they know of a scholar or wizard who would know such things. Or, perhaps the city's bureaucracy keeps some sort of record."

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The tiefling girl's eyes widened slightly at Anthony's casual mention of the Temple of the Nine, and she slapped him not-so-lightly across the shoulder. "Oi, you should be peery when you're out toutin' around the clueless like that. I don't want to see some torqued-off pit fiend running a red one against you for the sake of some addle-coved primes." She paused a moment before changing the subject.

"So, what're you gonna do now?"

 

[Dire Lemming]

Anthony looks up at the lights of the city across the dark expanse of the sky. "Duknow. I bumped into Lorne earlier who told me that Dinah wanted to see me. I was goin' to do that but it's gettin' a bit late now. All kinds o' addle-coves walkn' aroun' the Hive at this hour." He shrugs again.

(OOC: Just how stupid would it be for Anthony to head into the hive now? I've had conflicting experiences in games about just how dangerous the Hive is.)

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Hagen blinked in surprise at the question. "I...what? I don't remember going anywhere -- one moment I'm in my study, looking over my books for anything referencing that mask, and the next...I'm in that temple with that cold-faced woman asking me strange questions; questions about something called Darkspine and...someone named...Anarakadu -" his voice trailed off, and his eyes took on a faraway quality. When he spoke again, it was in a slow murmur.
"Long buried in the scarred realms of iron. Long buried amidst every war-machine that ever has been and ever will be. Now from Tintibulus to Darkspine."
Hagen shook his head quickly.

Pierce had been standing quietly with Sindr as they found the room in the bording house. He had paid for a day's cycle worth of protection (and discretion), and that's what she would give him. A good bodyguard must be obtrusive enough to ward off trouble, but unobtrusive enough to blend into the background when one's employer wanted to talk amongst friends or business companions.

But when this Hagen fellow began his strange speech, Pierce stiffened like she had been jabbed with a pin. Or... something.

"Cinder, my apologies for intruding but... Hagen, what you speak of sounds like my home plane. 'Scarred realms of iron... every war machine ever made...' If that is not Acheron, I'm not sure what else it could be," Pierce says in shock.

 

[Cage-Rattler]

"Hagen, what you speak of sounds like my home plane. 'Scarred realms of iron... every war machine ever made...'

Once again, Hagen blinks in surprise. "What? When did I say that?"

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"All kinds o' addle-coves walkn' aroun' the Hive at this hour."

"That's great; we'll fit right in! Come on, I'm going with you."

ooc: The good news is that the Hive Ward isn't much more dangerous at night than it is during the day. Take that as you will; it's still the Hive. Since Anthony knows his way around, though, he knows how to skirt around the most dangeous spots. Also, Dinah has her kip set up in the Marble District, which is one of the Hive's safer areas and not too far from the Clerk's Ward boundary.

 

[Dire Lemming]

Anthony thinks for a moment before responding. "Well, alright. Just stay close an don't go wonderin' off into any dark alleys. Some o' those addle-coves aren't so friendly." He stands and offers Lilly a hand up before going to the stand to return his empty mug. Then he leads the way to the Hive ward.