You nod to Naiko, who wordlessly leads you out the door and out of the apartment complex. You soon realize that it is, in fact, not the next morning. It's still night enough that the moon hangs heavy in the sky, full and bright, like the eye of a stalking predator.
Naiko leads you down several alleys, sidestreets, and backroads. Sensing urgency in the air, you don't stop her to ask where you're going or why.
Eventually, after heading for what seemed like miles down a single, gently downward sloping road, you're led to a part of the city you've not seen before. A massive hole sits in the center of the street, near it are Malcolm and Yakarin.
"Thank the Thousand you made it!" Yakarin exclaims, the first time you've ever heard her talk, to your recollection.
Malcolm hands first Naiko, and then you, a leather wallet stuffed with several sheets of legal document-looking papers. He wastes no time in explaining. "The shop was raided, Philgrim knows you're here. Those are your papers to get you into the Old Imperial City, it's down there" Malcolm gestures to the sinkhole, which the road you've been on continues down.
"Naiko, take her to the imperial palace. Those papers will let you in. After you're in, give them to Iekelka, she'll know what to do."
"Eleanor" Malcolm turns to you "I would have liked to get to know you better, but you must go, and quickly, there is likely not much time."
You enter the sinkhole, and are soon standing on a massive suspended bridge made of a flexible, dark substance. You struggle to resist vertigo as you take a look around. Below you is what you assume to be The Imperial City, a veritable hive of human construction, looking somewhat like a pair of step pyramids glued together at the bases, and suspended in midair through unseen means. Below--and all around--the City, you see a vast, stretching grey waste, occasionally you spot strange creatures darting around, but you're too far away to make much of anything out. Off in the distance you can spot a massive black shape, vaguely resembling a gigantic, cracked egg rising out of the landscape, and somewhat closer to you, what looks like an enormous lake, or perhaps a small ocean.
The City is far, and it seems that it may take you the better part of several hours to reach it.
It does seem to take you several hours to reach the end of the bridge, but it's hard to gauge exactly when you only have a very slight view of the sky (coming through several cracks in the "ceiling" of the Underdusk).
As you reach what appears to be a border checkpoint, you and Naiko are confronted by a pair of guards. They wear what can only be described as full suits of knightly armor, their entire bodies are covered in steel from head to toe, and they carry polearms that appear somewhat similar to bardiches.
"State your business, toplanders."
Before you can respond, Naiko hands them her papers, which one of the guards reads.
"Ha. Ambassadors? Czekhengrandling must be running short of people who aren't pigmen. You're free to pass. Don't expect us to show you around, though."
The guards step aside, and Naiko proceeds through, gesturing you to follow.
Naiko addresses you after you're out of earshot of the guards.
"Malcolm knows the person in charge of this place, which is how we got papers marking us as ambassadors. But I've never been here, so I don't know where The Ducal Palace is...."
Naiko scratches her chin and looks down at the ground.
You and Naiko wander about the city for roughly an hour, eventually stumbling upon a grandiose palace that cannot be anything but the capitol building. It's a large, deep blue domed structure, with columns rising from each of its four corners. Said columns contain on their tips golden spheres, as does the top of the building itself.
At its gates, you are again stopped by the knight-guards, and Naiko again turns over her papers. Gesturing for you to do the same.
Naiko solemnly enters the room, and bows her head. Without really thinking about it, you do the same.
The room before you is rather bare for what's allegedly a royal chamber. Though there are in fact two thrones. One, sitting in the middle of the room, appears to be made of a long-decayed platinum or silver, some words are etched into its backboard, but you can't read them. This throne is empty. The other throne, to its right, somewhat smaller, is made of gold, and appears to be quite well maintained.
This throne is occupied. The figure it seats is a young woman, of light brown hair and complexion, with glassy green eyes, and a thin mouth that betrays no real expression besides a vague contempt. She wears milky white robes, and on her head is an elaborate headdress in the shape of an inverted trapezoid, several discs of gold hang from it on thin strands of thread. She is holding a simple black staff, made of some kind of wood.
To her own right is another guard, this one wearing armor that is somewhat darker than that of the guards you've seen so far.
The guard speaks.
"You stand before The Lady Protector of the 20,000 Doors, Autokrator Basilissa de Facto in the Names of The Holy Imperial Houses Until the Throne is Reclaimed, Sole Confirmant & Elector of The Emperors of Malzekh, and Duchess of Molkhengrad, her Lordship, Iekelka The Seventeenth of The Name, of the Noble House Volken. Speak your peace, toplanders. Be respectful."
Before you can say anything, Naiko begins.
"Milady, we come to you from the Moon City of Cze--"
"I know where you come from, do not waste my time. Did I not tell Philgrim that I wanted no more of his ambassadors? I have no desire for any relation between my city and his."
"We come from Malcolm, milady."
The Duchess does not say anything at first, merely folding her hands and leaning forward.
"Ah."
"Then this is the otherworlder?"
"Yes, ma'm."
"I suppose I should never have told Malcolm I'd return his favor, now he expects me to. In any case, I want to hear this child speak for herself....Tell me, what, by your own account, would you say of your situation, otherworlder?" --END: DRINK THE MOON: PART 1, SIDE A--
You tell The Duchess your tale. Your innocent nighttime walk, the fog bank, the marble and the key, the bus ride, Moon City, meeting Rhlk and Naiko, meeting Malcolm....
it occurs to you as you speak that you're really still in the dark about what this is all about. You stutter, you trip over your words, you speak inordinately loudly. By the time you've finished rambling, The Duchess has heard your entire story. She has not moved an inch.
"I see."
You get the feeling that she really doesn't.
She folds her hands, and leans back.
"I do empathize with you, it must be hard being the subject of so much interest in a place you've never been and know nothing of."
You involuntarily sigh. Of all the people you've spoken to, this woman, royalty no less, seems most concerned about your situation.
"It requires more explanation than I can adequately give you here. We will need to visit my divination room."
"Cieliphax." She turns to her guard, who nods.
"We are going to my sorcerous chambers. Inform the guards at the front gate that I am busy and will receive no visitors for the remainder of the day."
"As you will, m'lady."
The guard leaves, and Iekelka gets off of her throne. Somewhat to your surprise. Now that you're on even ground with her, she's not much taller than you, which surprises you for some reason.
"Come."
Over the next ten minutes, you are led through a series of similar-looking twisty passages. Finally, you come to a pair of tall blue doors, not unlike repainted versions of those that guard the ducal chamber.
"Brace yourself."
The Duchess motions at the doors, and they fly open, and you're hit with a strong blast of cool air, followed by a tingling sensation. You struggle to keep your composure.
"First time exposure to magic of such high concentration is not always so uneventful. Be glad nausea is all you'll get."
The Duchess enters the room before you, and Naiko and yourself follow. In the center of the room is a large but very shallow pool. It reflects the ceiling, an intricately-painted mural of this world's night sky. In the dead center, reflected in the pool, is a luminous sculpture of the moon, bright and white. Behind the pool stands a large, uncut formation of deep blue metal, it seems to hum softly.
"This is the Ducal Divination Chamber. It is one of the last places of powerful magic left in Mournagard. Sit down, and I'll explain."
The water has a slight copper taste to it, but as you empty the cup, your lightheadedness fades, and you're as clear of thought as you've ever been in this confusing place.
The Duchess tosses some blue powder into the water.
"Now. Time for explanations. You are here as a mere victim of circumstance. A powerful outburst of magical energy opened a rift in dimensions, and you simply happened to be the first being to be in the right place at the right time--or wrong place and wrong time, as the case may be. As for what caused this disturbance..."
The image in the pool changes, you see what appears to be a reflection of a massive iron gate.
"It's this. I cannot say for certain what it is, but Philgrim has been working on it for months. I can tell it's made of the same iron as the mass in the pillar over there, which allows this pool to be used for scrying. My working theory is that it's a portal of some sort. To your world, if I had to guess. I guess your world specifically, because the wave of energy that opened the rift between our two happened around the same time this object was turned on for the first time--a few days ago. I also think I know why Philgrim might want a portal to your world--there are at least two possibilities--and I'm almost certain I know what we can do to stop it."
The Duchess sighs heavily, you imagine this doesn't bode well.
"That key that you have. I don't know how you got it, but it's the activator to a magic dampener. Such things are powerful devices and can nullify most magic on a plane for decades--even centuries--at a time. If you activated it, it would stop Philgrim, since his device is magical. But there are two problems."
The image in the pool changes again, swirling into an eggshell white dome-shaped structure. Black monoliths pierce the dome's ceilings. One in particular, which seems to be studded in lights, stands far taller than the rest.
"The first is that that is the only usable magic dampener on the entire planet. Dampeners are constructions of the Dwarves, and the technology to build them went extinct with them. Dampeners are also only usable once, as far as we're aware. The second is that that place is....well it's very far away. You'd have to cross the Ashen Wastes to get there, and I simply can't spare you any men as an escort, nor can I spare particularly many supplies."
The Duchess sighs again.
"Which, brings me to the worst part of all of this. I am certain that Philgrim is planning to launch an offensive on our fair city--he thinks the key is here, and currently, he's right. So, as Duchess, and as a diplomat from my world to yours, I must humbly request your and Naiko's assistance in this matter."
Naiko does not look pleased.
"You are not going to send a little girl into the underground deserts unascorted! It's insanity!"
"Fine. If she's fine with it, I can't not accompany her."
"That's good to hear. There is one place you'll be able to rest and restock along the way."
The image in the pool changes again, this time to an aerial shot of a small, walled city.
"This is Ashbeg. It's a fort town from the glory days of the old empire, it's ruled by a Magistrate by the name of Hezekiah. He should be friendly to you provided you explain your mission, and his fortress will provide reprieve from the ruins of the old capitol you'll have to cross to get there. He also might be able to spare more supplies than I can."
"Not much. Enough food for the journey to Ashbeg, some medicine, a pair of pack beasts--making you walk would just be cruel--do you have some means of defending yourself? The Wastes are not exactly safe."
Before long, you've been set up with two backpacks of supplies, and three....
well you're not sure how to describe them, honestly. They rather look like dinosaurs really, burly, hunched-over things with a very prominent overbite that displays their flat, grinding teeth. One opens its mouth, and makes a bizarre honking sound.
One is for you to ride, the other for Naiko, and the third for your supplies.
The guardsman in charge of the stables assures you they're quite docile. "Their names are Jo, Je, and Ji. But you can call 'em anything you like, they're too dumb to care." You're led to the bottom of the city with your new animal companions.
Remember back in the 50s when they'd record like Elvis singing YOU AIN'T NOTHIN BUT A HOUND DOG and then they'd turn the record over and reverse it and it was all NYERP NYERP NYERP NYERP NYERP and people were all like, "That is actually the voice of Satan coming from that song."
Take in the view of the wastes (however little of a view there may be) before setting off.
The wastes largely consist of a seemingly endless sea of grey sand dunes. Odd shrubs stick up out of the ground here and there, and you see small lizards and nondescript mammals occasionally dart across the sands. Overhead, a large batlike creature lazily circles in the sky.
Comments
Naiko leads you down several alleys, sidestreets, and backroads. Sensing urgency in the air, you don't stop her to ask where you're going or why.
Eventually, after heading for what seemed like miles down a single, gently downward sloping road, you're led to a part of the city you've not seen before. A massive hole sits in the center of the street, near it are Malcolm and Yakarin.
"Thank the Thousand you made it!" Yakarin exclaims, the first time you've ever heard her talk, to your recollection.
Malcolm hands first Naiko, and then you, a leather wallet stuffed with several sheets of legal document-looking papers. He wastes no time in explaining. "The shop was raided, Philgrim knows you're here. Those are your papers to get you into the Old Imperial City, it's down there" Malcolm gestures to the sinkhole, which the road you've been on continues down.
"Naiko, take her to the imperial palace. Those papers will let you in. After you're in, give them to Iekelka, she'll know what to do."
"Eleanor" Malcolm turns to you "I would have liked to get to know you better, but you must go, and quickly, there is likely not much time."
The Underdusk awaits.
The City is far, and it seems that it may take you the better part of several hours to reach it.
Naiko seems unfazed by your uncharacteristic cussing.
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
It does seem to take you several hours to reach the end of the bridge, but it's hard to gauge exactly when you only have a very slight view of the sky (coming through several cracks in the "ceiling" of the Underdusk).
As you reach what appears to be a border checkpoint, you and Naiko are confronted by a pair of guards. They wear what can only be described as full suits of knightly armor, their entire bodies are covered in steel from head to toe, and they carry polearms that appear somewhat similar to bardiches.
"State your business, toplanders."
Before you can respond, Naiko hands them her papers, which one of the guards reads.
"Ha. Ambassadors? Czekhengrandling must be running short of people who aren't pigmen. You're free to pass. Don't expect us to show you around, though."
The guards step aside, and Naiko proceeds through, gesturing you to follow.
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
Naiko addresses you after you're out of earshot of the guards.
"Malcolm knows the person in charge of this place, which is how we got papers marking us as ambassadors. But I've never been here, so I don't know where The Ducal Palace is...."
Naiko scratches her chin and looks down at the ground.
"So...that's something we'll have to figure out."
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
At its gates, you are again stopped by the knight-guards, and Naiko again turns over her papers. Gesturing for you to do the same.
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
"You may pass. Be on your best behavior before Her Majesty." The other says flatly.
Once inside, a different guard directs you to the Ducal Chamber. The doors are massive, and inlaid with complex gold patterns.
"You may enter."
"You're a weird kid, you know that? C'mon, we have to do this." Naiko opens the door, and enters.
The room before you is rather bare for what's allegedly a royal chamber. Though there are in fact two thrones. One, sitting in the middle of the room, appears to be made of a long-decayed platinum or silver, some words are etched into its backboard, but you can't read them. This throne is empty. The other throne, to its right, somewhat smaller, is made of gold, and appears to be quite well maintained.
This throne is occupied. The figure it seats is a young woman, of light brown hair and complexion, with glassy green eyes, and a thin mouth that betrays no real expression besides a vague contempt. She wears milky white robes, and on her head is an elaborate headdress in the shape of an inverted trapezoid, several discs of gold hang from it on thin strands of thread. She is holding a simple black staff, made of some kind of wood.
To her own right is another guard, this one wearing armor that is somewhat darker than that of the guards you've seen so far.
The guard speaks.
"You stand before The Lady Protector of the 20,000 Doors, Autokrator Basilissa de Facto in
the Names of The Holy Imperial Houses Until the Throne is Reclaimed,
Sole Confirmant & Elector of The Emperors of Malzekh, and Duchess of
Molkhengrad, her Lordship, Iekelka The Seventeenth of The Name, of the Noble House Volken. Speak your peace, toplanders. Be respectful."
Before you can say anything, Naiko begins.
"Milady, we come to you from the Moon City of Cze--"
"I know where you come from, do not waste my time. Did I not tell Philgrim that I wanted no more of his ambassadors? I have no desire for any relation between my city and his."
"We come from Malcolm, milady."
The Duchess does not say anything at first, merely folding her hands and leaning forward.
"Ah."
"Then this is the otherworlder?"
"Yes, ma'm."
"I suppose I should never have told Malcolm I'd return his favor, now he expects me to. In any case, I want to hear this child speak for herself....Tell me, what, by your own account, would you say of your situation, otherworlder?"
--END: DRINK THE MOON: PART 1, SIDE A--
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
it occurs to you as you speak that you're really still in the dark about what this is all about. You stutter, you trip over your words, you speak inordinately loudly. By the time you've finished rambling, The Duchess has heard your entire story. She has not moved an inch.
"I see."
You get the feeling that she really doesn't.
She folds her hands, and leans back.
"I do empathize with you, it must be hard being the subject of so much interest in a place you've never been and know nothing of."
You involuntarily sigh. Of all the people you've spoken to, this woman, royalty no less, seems most concerned about your situation.
"I think I know what brought you here."
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
"Cieliphax." She turns to her guard, who nods.
"We are going to my sorcerous chambers. Inform the guards at the front gate that I am busy and will receive no visitors for the remainder of the day."
"As you will, m'lady."
The guard leaves, and Iekelka gets off of her throne. Somewhat to your surprise. Now that you're on even ground with her, she's not much taller than you, which surprises you for some reason.
"Come."
Over the next ten minutes, you are led through a series of similar-looking twisty passages. Finally, you come to a pair of tall blue doors, not unlike repainted versions of those that guard the ducal chamber.
"Brace yourself."
The Duchess motions at the doors, and they fly open, and you're hit with a strong blast of cool air, followed by a tingling sensation. You struggle to keep your composure.
"First time exposure to magic of such high concentration is not always so uneventful. Be glad nausea is all you'll get."
The Duchess enters the room before you, and Naiko and yourself follow. In the center of the room is a large but very shallow pool. It reflects the ceiling, an intricately-painted mural of this world's night sky. In the dead center, reflected in the pool, is a luminous sculpture of the moon, bright and white. Behind the pool stands a large, uncut formation of deep blue metal, it seems to hum softly.
"This is the Ducal Divination Chamber. It is one of the last places of powerful magic left in Mournagard. Sit down, and I'll explain."
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
"Drink this. Consider it a magical vaccination."
The Duchess tosses some blue powder into the water.
"Now. Time for explanations. You are here as a mere victim of circumstance. A powerful outburst of magical energy opened a rift in dimensions, and you simply happened to be the first being to be in the right place at the right time--or wrong place and wrong time, as the case may be. As for what caused this disturbance..."
The image in the pool changes, you see what appears to be a reflection of a massive iron gate.
"It's this. I cannot say for certain what it is, but Philgrim has been working on it for months. I can tell it's made of the same iron as the mass in the pillar over there, which allows this pool to be used for scrying. My working theory is that it's a portal of some sort. To your world, if I had to guess. I guess your world specifically, because the wave of energy that opened the rift between our two happened around the same time this object was turned on for the first time--a few days ago. I also think I know why Philgrim might want a portal to your world--there are at least two possibilities--and I'm almost certain I know what we can do to stop it."
"That key that you have. I don't know how you got it, but it's the activator to a magic dampener. Such things are powerful devices and can nullify most magic on a plane for decades--even centuries--at a time. If you activated it, it would stop Philgrim, since his device is magical. But there are two problems."
The image in the pool changes again, swirling into an eggshell white dome-shaped structure. Black monoliths pierce the dome's ceilings. One in particular, which seems to be studded in lights, stands far taller than the rest.
"The first is that that is the only usable magic dampener on the entire planet. Dampeners are constructions of the Dwarves, and the technology to build them went extinct with them. Dampeners are also only usable once, as far as we're aware. The second is that that place is....well it's very far away. You'd have to cross the Ashen Wastes to get there, and I simply can't spare you any men as an escort, nor can I spare particularly many supplies."
The Duchess sighs again.
"Which, brings me to the worst part of all of this. I am certain that Philgrim is planning to launch an offensive on our fair city--he thinks the key is here, and currently, he's right. So, as Duchess, and as a diplomat from my world to yours, I must humbly request your and Naiko's assistance in this matter."
Naiko does not look pleased.
"You are not going to send a little girl into the underground deserts unascorted! It's insanity!"
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
"Fine. If she's fine with it, I can't not accompany her."
"That's good to hear. There is one place you'll be able to rest and restock along the way."
The image in the pool changes again, this time to an aerial shot of a small, walled city.
"This is Ashbeg. It's a fort town from the glory days of the old empire, it's ruled by a Magistrate by the name of Hezekiah. He should be friendly to you provided you explain your mission, and his fortress will provide reprieve from the ruins of the old capitol you'll have to cross to get there. He also might be able to spare more supplies than I can."
Be polite about it, but it's something you need to know.
"Not much. Enough food for the journey to Ashbeg, some medicine, a pair of pack beasts--making you walk would just be cruel--do you have some means of defending yourself? The Wastes are not exactly safe."
The Duchess turns it over in her hand.
"It should do at least until you get to Ashbeg. I assume Naiko has her own means of defense?"
Naiko nods, although you don't know what she refers to.
"Good. If you're both ready, we'll set you on your way immediately. You simply cannot be here when Philgrim attacks, it would be disastrous."
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead
well you're not sure how to describe them, honestly. They rather look like dinosaurs really, burly, hunched-over things with a very prominent overbite that displays their flat, grinding teeth. One opens its mouth, and makes a bizarre honking sound.
One is for you to ride, the other for Naiko, and the third for your supplies.
The guardsman in charge of the stables assures you they're quite docile. "Their names are Jo, Je, and Ji. But you can call 'em anything you like, they're too dumb to care." You're led to the bottom of the city with your new animal companions.
The wastes await.
Assassin poems, Poems that shoot
guns. Poems that wrestle cops into alleys
and take their weapons leaving them dead