Strangers in Strange Lands (the Kier and Creampuff)

Trump contact feels odd, and certainly includes distortion. They can communicate but not with their typical ease.

The warping effect continues underground. A sharp turn becomes instead a gradual one. The ceiling rises or descends in ways not planned or desired.

After a time, the Kier come upon what looks like a huge city carved into the side of a cliff wall. Before it lies a level area of perhaps fifty yards, then a yawning abyss. Each building is square, with rectangular doors and windows, walls carved with abstract designs. A greenish glow from veins in the rock provide light, but there is no sign of life anywhere.

Beyond the city is another opening in the cave system.

{OOC - So, it's like trying to watch the pay-per-view porn without paying?}

"Mirror self, I don't think this is working. I see three things we can still try. I'd like to start by using the Pattern to feel the Shadow nearby. If that gains us nothing, I think we should find a waterfall. If that proves impossible, then I will have to design a spell to open a portal to somewhere we know. That's in order of how much time each would take to accomplish, also the inverse order of how likely I think each is to succeed. We know that Prospero managed to get us here with a spell; I should be able to do the same, given enough time. But that might take me weeks to discover. Ideally, weeks. Maybe longer, if this distortion proves difficult. We would need to find shelter, and food and water. It might be worth your time to find the locals that Prospero spoke of. Maybe they have a secret way out of here."

Kierenne moves over next to her brother, and kneels next to him. Her shoulder is pressed against the side of his leg, and her head briefly rests against his hip. "It feels so alone inside my mind without your presence. I hope we can escape this place soon." She closes her eyes, sits up straight, and brings the image of the Broken Pattern to the front of her mind. While the glowing coils of Amber's Pattern can be seen spiraling inwards, four black smudges can be seen crossing it. They spiral the opposite direction, with each one farther towards the center. As this comes to mind, Kierenne raises her arms puts her hands into the space where she imagines the first two cuts to be. Pushing through this, she imagines those two tendrils extending out into the world around her, reaching down the tunnels. She can feel the cold dusty air blowing across the tendrils in her mind, and she is satisfied.

This part is harder. Crossing shadows... I never liked doing this. Then she moved her hands into the two inner-most breaks, the ones closer to the center of the Universe, the ones that cross the boundaries. She can feel the strain of the effort, and she commits herself. Once she has a measure of the force needed, she utters a word, "ZZAQ!" She can feel her Psyche expanding briefly, at the cost of some strength, but soon the surge is gone. "ZZAQ!" again, and soon again, trying to force her way through the walls of shadow, pounding against the distortion with her mind, until she has no more strength to try.

{Maximum Psyche, as repeatedly boosted via Power Word. That should chew up my Endurance pretty quickly, though.}

Stroking her hair as she kneels and concentrates, "We will get there. One way or another. We will." Watching to ensure that we have no lurkering guests, "If need be, I will try for the waterfall." Worry edges his voice out of concern for his sister.

Seeing the familiar gestures, Be careful love. Losing your voice was bad enough, not feeling you inside me, it feels so empty. He moves to support her in case the strain is too much, not relinquishing the only contact they have for now.

Knowing the drain on her resources with each incantation, the blade of his sword shakes with each word, almost as if he can feel it too. I can't lose you.

{OOC - So, the theory was that if we can move through Shadow, even if it's distorted and sends us off in unexpected directions... presumably we'd still be moving away from the distortion zone. The farther away from the zone we got, the less the distortion would mess with us as we continued moving. Eventually, we'd get back to "normal" Shadows, and we could trump or hellride back to Amber. If the distortion zone were some kind of closed area, maybe it would let us move through some Shadows, but eventually loop us back around to the original Shadows or something.

I had thought that, based on previous posts, we had walked enough in Shadow to determine that we couldn't eventually get out of here that way. So, the goal of the tendrils is mostly to... sort of feel out the shape of Shadow here and nearby? Maybe there's something to be figured out about the distortion that we can then use to device a more cunning attempt to escape here. I'm not expecting the tendrils to be able to let us escape by themselves, but maybe they can help me with crafting the spell we'll need later to 'port out.}

With enormous concentration, a slight rhythm in the fabric of the Shadow and those around it emerges. Very subtle. It would seem there is a kind of direction to the distortion, but which way implies an increase and which a decrease is anyone's guess. But it gives two "directions" one can try. One presumably would have the distortion remain the same or increase. The other should eventually have the distortion decrease.

{We have two possible directions to go. We can use the trumps to each other to try to measure if the distortion increases or decreases. Then we start walking in the direction of less distortion.}

Kierenne slumps against her brother's leg. Out loud, because she's too tired to use the trumps through the interference, she whispers, "I have a way to find an exit. Let me rest, then we can walk out."

She did it, I knew she could!

Crouching to hold her close, "I knew you'd find it. Take as long as you need.", shifting so she's able to get comfortable, stroking her hair and neck, "Soon we'll be out of this damnable isolation."

Two obvious ways forward present themselves. One is a natural cave opening up ahead past the 'plaza' of the underground city. The other is up the long wide stairs into said city.

After many hours of sleep, Kierenne finally wakes up and stretches. "Well met, brother. I know I've said this before, but it bears repeating: you make a most comfortable pillow. In fact, the only reason I wish to leave this place is because I cannot countenance the idea that we cannot leave this place."

She gets up slowly, not in a hurry and still not fully rested from her efforts. "I think I'd like to explore this city, so unlike what we know in spite of being the closets we've come to being home in quite so time. Until we can determine if this is towards or away from our goal, anyway."

She starts to walk up the long wide stairs, and makes Trump contact with her brother as she does. No message is sent, just the awareness of his presence, even distorted through the strange interference of this shadow, is enough for now.

{Whatever we figured out how to do at this point, to walk in shadow this direction and check the distortion as we go, let us do that. After some point, we'll check the distortion again, and decide if we should turn around and walk the other way.}

The city has some dust, and one can see a few skeletons lying here and there. Fingers in these contain six fingers each. Not surprisingly, there's an elaborate system of chimneys and (now rotting) tapestries. Braziers clearly intended to carry heated coals dot every room. Vaguely luminescent veins of stone wind through the rock of the city. There does seem to be a very long staircase spiraling up (and down) near city center.

Supporting my still worn out twin, commandeer a dwelling that has a view of the decaying city. This may not be what we are used to, but we can have it make do as a base of operations here. Get her comfortable in a room, "This may do until you've recovered your strength that we may explore this city more thoroughly.", then explore the house, keeping alert for anything across the trump connection.

Let us check if it has improved. Attempt a trump jump to her from across the room.

[Note: As I read it, you remain in the same Shadow as when you stopped upon finding the underground city.]

Somewhat surprisingly, the place is fairly dry. A tiny jump across the room via Trump does not go as planned. Kieran recognizes where he arrives -- the hallway just a tiny distance from the room where he left his twin. Contact between the two continues to have difficult quality about it. But one can clearly sense the other, even if communication involves the garbling some of their actual thoughts and words.

Returning to the room "That was unpleasant." What if it had put me into into a solid structure? That certainly would not do..

"Let's move. Through the city, once outside I'll start the shifting. You got us this far, hopefully I can manage the next part."

Staying close to his twin, and hating the distortions further yet, they head out.

Make our way through the city, look around but not make it a time consuming thing. We have places to go, people to see, and this isn't full of either of those things.

"That stairwell seems out of place..." since it is on the way, we may as well investigate it.

The stairs lead up through maybe a dozen floors to the interior of a building with great oval windows, revealing a sky.

This building seems as deserted and in the same style as below. Here, however, they find more dust as well as signs of birds and small animals making their nests. Some doors remain impassible but others lie on the floor. Outside these walls they see themselves on an island, a mountain rising out of the sea. One of many in a chain stretching in all directions -- each connected by metal suspension bridges large enough for three or four people to walk abreast. Trees dot the various islands, while overhead some large white birds do lazy spirals through the air.

From this island leads two bridges. One seems barely a hundred feet long, to a larger island that seems mostly forested. The other, at least five times as long, ends up at what looks like a mountain-top with the broken ruins of a castle. Within those ruins is what appears to be a large bronze dome, completely intact, and etched with elaborate patterns.

{OOC - Is there any resemblance between the brass dome / bridge construction style and our Father's underwater retreat house? Or, between this and the Steampunk style we saw in our very very brief stop in the Nexus?}

Taking in both sides, If there is anything to learn, it would be with their nobles. The fodder died off and left nothing.

Check the bridge, if this place is in decay, the bridge may very well crumble on our first step.

Can you check the bridge for magicks dear?

"Let me cross first, if it falls apart, bring me to you. Via trump or other ways. It may not be right to you love, but it maybe close enough."

Nothing would stop us from repeating that trump jump over and over until the landing was where we wanted to either. But let's not let anyone who may or may not be listening in to our talking know this.

The bridges look sturdy enough. No trace of magic anywhere. Kieran can cross either one with minimal effort. As he does so--and if he cares to glance down--large shapes move lazily in the water. Two small fins on either side. A flat, rounded head. No neck. Maybe ten feet in length.

[OOC - Which island do you head for?]

]The Castle]

He makes it to the ruined castle without incident. Plenty of weeds on the sidewalks once he gets there. The dome, it turns out is part of a structure attached to the Castle, possibly once part of it but made of different material. Far more durable, since these walls show not a scratch. Over on one end is an oval door, seven feet high and five wide. Kieran clearly sees a keyhole in the wood. An odd, albeit familiar design.

The same kind of keyhole as at the Enclave!

That is just like the key Prospero had

Be careful, and come across the bridge love. The door has a lock, the keyhole is akin to the Enclave's. Prospero had a key to a similar lock. I am not liking this at all.

Check the area, and door. Am I able to tell what the door is made of?