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Message: <blockquote data-quote="gideonpepys" data-source="post: 7644543" data-attributes="member: 79141">Session 234, Part TwoBhoiorOnce they were sure he was out of immediate danger, they left Leon in Ayesha’s care. Uriel seemed withdrawn and contemplative for a while after their visit to Thrag.  (He had learned something personal about the nature of reincarnation, which he chose not to share with the others right away.)Korrigan studied Calily’s map, and the version they were making themselves. Then he asked Uriel (and Xambria) to employ the vortex array to examine the energies of the surrounding planes.  Once this was done, he began to plot a careful path through the Southern Gyre that would enable them to explore each and every plane without retracing their steps. He did not want to skip over any opportunity to forge a better world.  This path would take them to Bhoior next, so he asked Calily how she had managed to move the great turtle.“Patience,” she answered.  When asked to elucidate further, she explained that she had meditated on the turtle for over a month, whereupon it slowly flew across the void at her request, enabling her to explore the deadly Northern Gyre.  “An experience I only narrowly survived.”Gupta wondered how a whole turtle could form just a fragment of a plane.  Answers were waiting on Bhoior:Ignoring Uru’s attempt to chart a path up the turtle’s arse, they landed at the very centre of the plane, where the energies would be strongest and Kai’s reading of its traits would be simplest.  The plane was indeed a twenty-mile-wide turtle composed of stones filled with fossils that had trapped the souls of the dead. Now many thousands more spirits from the Bleak Gate filled this world. “We can go no further,” they told Uru, gesturing ahead to the plane their charts called ‘Amrou’, which appeared to form some sort of barrier to them. The trapped spirits, meanwhile, whispered that they knew secrets but would never reveal them except to those who knew the souls when they were alive. Uriel used a spell to compel them to do so, and they confessed that had been lying.  When asked why, they said, “For fun; there’s not much else to do around here.”After being temporarily side-tracked, Uriel used his location loresight ritual to see if he could learn something of the history of this place.  While he meditated, so did Kai. Kai soon declared that if bonded with, this plane would cause sounds to echo many years later.  (A hard concept for a four-year-old to grasp and communicate.) They interpreted this to mean that people would be more innately aware of the past, and less doomed to repeat the mistakes of history.  Interesting.  (Everyone immediately thought of one specific person who could benefit from this effect. …)Uriel’s ritual yielded unusually detailed results, so rich was this plane in sentient, whispering spirits:Long ago another, greater turtle bore several continents upon its back, and when it neared its proscribed death it traveled for the spawning ground of its mighty species where it could transfer the people who lived on its shell to another. Alas, the great turtle died before it could reach its destination, and so died an entire world.Centuries later a new turtle awoke from the huge dead body, and it could hear the mournful memories of those it never had a chance to save.Made aware of this sad story, Kai was able to bond with the plane and an hour later another golden icon was created.ShabboathGupta made an attempt to persuade Korrigan to head north straight away.  She gave some half-hearted reasons about reaching Egalitrix, but Uriel could sense an ulterior motive.  When pressed, she admitted that the blinking lighthouse of Ascetia fascinated her and she did not want to wait too long to investigate it.  Korrigan tapped his chart pedantically, where his proposed route was clearly marked, and said, “We already have a plan of action. All in good time.”On to Shabboath: a vast bog dotted with spurs of karst limestone. Remote viewing yielded little, save that this world was fairly teeming with listless vaknids.  Closer, they realised that a light drizzle fell here almost continually. Uru cast a water-walk ritual on everyone.  (Except Leon, who was yet to regain consciousness.)They followed the usual routine: land, and wait for Kai to bond, while Uriel sought to learn something of the plane’s history. While they waited, Calily suggested that they investigate one of the huge sinkholes they had seen as they passed overhead, one of which was close by.Uriel, still present in the moment despite his evident concentration, told Korrigan that Calily did not say what everyone thought she said, adding: there is a powerful sentient presence here, deep below the surface.  “Evidently, it wants us to go down there,” he said.Kai announced that linking Lanjyr with Shabboath would have a physical effect on the world, creating a network of spooky, underground tunnels, as vast and complex as the surface world.  For the first time since their odyssey began, here was a trait that appealed to Uru.  He was therefore presently surprised when, to everyone’s astonishment, the usually cautious Korrigan announced:“I think we should take a look.”There were mixed reactions.  Uriel didn’t think it was a good idea; nor did Calily. Hildegaard said she didn’t want to go underground under any circumstances.  “The last time I entered a sunlit, watery realm, inhabited by psychic entities it did not end well.”When asked for his reasons, Korrigan said, “There might be someone down there who needs rescuing.”  That sounded a bit feeble, but Quratulain said, “You are the king. You call the shots.  If you say we go down there, then we go down there.”  Uru furiously agreed. Uriel scowled.  These inexplicable motives were signs of manipulation by a higher power.  But Korrigan insisted that he was acting of his own free will, and wanted to leave ‘no stone unturned’ in their exploration of the Gyre.A quick investigation of the sinkhole with Korrigan’s clairvoyant eye revealed huge, flooded tunnels that could only be navigated aquatically.  Perhaps they could call in the Sunfish?  They made arrangements for it to be lowered from the Coaltongue.At this, Hildegaard became adamant in her refusal to accompany them and it was clear that she expected Rumdoom’s support.  He gave a shrug and his expression was one of helpless resignation as he accompanied his wife back to the ship.End of Session</blockquote>

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