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[Arcalian]

Adrian was impressed.

Around them was a vast golden chamber, as Haer'Dalis had described it. There were three round doorways set in the chamber; a fourth, open round archway, led back the way they had come.

As they had entered, Adrian had felt a moment's disorientation before everything came into focus. All the others felt the same. Haer'Dalis speculated that the Sphere was it's own miniature plane in and of itself, capable of granting a traveller access to any other place in the known Planescape. Such was the reason for the disorientation; they were literally going from the Prime Material to the Sphere's own little realm. The Surgeon thought he had experienced that sort of disorentation before, but couldn't say when or where.

The left and right doors were open, but the middle one, straight ahed, was missing a key to open it, or so Haer'Dalis said. Adrian nodded; this sort of thing was why he had brought Haer'Dalis and the Surgeon along in the first place.

The right doorway led to what Adrian supposed could be considered a "map room". After disposing of a relatively weak imp that served as a guardian, they saw that the entire floor of the room showed the slums of Athkatla as though from a great height looking down, with the golden Sphere at it's center.

"Now, that is impressive," said the Surgeon, bending over to look.

"Aye, tis," Haer'Dalis agreed. "I have seen the same sort of thing before, but nothing so complex, so sophisticated. Take heed, dark one," he turned to Adrian, "We are in what you would call uncharted waters here."

Adrian wasn't at all sure he'd call it that, but he took the Tiefling's meaning. "That's why I brought you two along."

"Ah," Haer'Dalis nodded, eyes glittering.

The left door led to some sort of storage room, which had a much more impressive guardian; a golem of some kind. But Adrian and his party had defeated golems before; and they were more powerful now than then. The fight lasted all of three minutes, and then the Golem was so much mess on the floor.

Haer'Dalis found what must be the key to the inner door, but Adrian bade him wait. They searched thoroughly, and found the arm of yet another golem, and some coal. The Surgeon frowned over these for a while, then shrugged and gave them to Korgan, who put them in his pack.

(While they had done all this, Tolgerias and his apprentice had snuck in, and were hiding in the entrance archway.)

"Now we come to it, my dark eagle," Haer'Dalis said. "This key will no doubt open this door, and reveal the secrets of the Sphere to us...but I would not be at all surprised if it also launched the Sphere itself, throughout the Planes."

"I agree," the Surgeon said, nodding. "We may not be able to come back."

"I dinnae like this place," said Korgan, "But I cannae figure on ye turning back, Adrian. And besides, there's gold to be looted here I be sure."

"We can always master this Sphere and force it to come back," Edwin pointed out.

"Probably so," Adrian said. "But you'll forgive me, Edwin, if I don't let you be the first to make such attempts."

Edwin snorted irritably as Anomen and Tree laughed.

("None of you will live so long," Tolgerias muttered.)

"All right Haer'Dalis, go ahead." Adrian braced himself as best he was able.

Slowly, Haer'Dalis put the key in the lock and turned it. There was a strange, loud ululating noise, the floor lurched, and everything went black.....

----

Elsewhere.

The woman with feathers in her hair materialized in a dark cave network. She knew that only Orcs had ever lived here. Not even other breeds of monsters had ever come to this place; since life had come to these deep mountain caves, it had been Orcs that dominated here. Here was one of the most powerful temples to Grummush One-Eye.

No human, even one so powerful and long-lived as her, had ever come to this place before. She wished to speak to the Great Shamans of Grummush.

But before she did, she would have to fight.

She grew to her full unnatural height and wielded her strange spear/staff. To natural vision, all was dark. But to her magical eyes, she could see more than a dozen of the mightiest of Orcs come charging towards her.

And of course, she could hear and smell them.

"You shall suffer," she hissed as they came for her.

[Laufey]

"I dinnae like this place," said Korgan, "But I cannae figure on ye turning back, Adrian. And besides, there's gold to be looted here I be sure."

"We can always master this Sphere and force it to come back," Edwin pointed out.

"Probably so," Adrian said. "But you'll forgive me, Edwin, if I don't let you be the first to make such attempts."

Aw, poor Eddie. When it's my turn, I rather think I may let him have some fun...

No human, even one so powerful and long-lived as her, had ever come to this place before. She wished to speak to the Great Shamans of Grummush.

But before she did, she would have to fight.

She grew to her full unnatural height and wielded her strange spear/staff. To natural vision, all was dark. But to her magical eyes, she could see more than a dozen of the mightiest of Orcs come charging towards her.

Whatever she's up to, it *has* to be bad. Btw, I don't remember...have you gone into your theory about Melissan's great size?

[Arcalian]

Well-done and interesting as usual.

I came late to this & can see I'm going to have to hunt backwards to fidn out who some of these people are.

And to read the story for its own sake

Feel free to respond as often as you like, I love feedback.

Good to see what the lady was up to before TOB.

Yes, my backstory for her is rather extensive.

[Arcalian]

Whatever she's up to, it *has* to be bad. Btw, I don't remember...have you gone into your theory about Melissan's great size?

I haven't, but I rather suspect it's to do with stolen Bhaal essence. At the appropriate point in TOB, Smelly Melly will give the full exposition ("Then explain yourself," said the Solar....)

BTW, are you pleased to see H'D back in the party?

[Laufey]

Whatever she's up to, it *has* to be bad. Btw, I don't remember...have you gone into your theory about Melissan's great size?

I haven't, but I rather suspect it's to do with stolen Bhaal essence. At the appropriate point in TOB, Smelly Melly will give the full exposition ("Then explain yourself," said the Solar....)

BTW, are you pleased to see H'D back in the party?

Neither pleased nor displeased. Haery isn't one of my circle of favourite characters, but I don't have anything against him either, and sometimes he can be quite amusing.

[Arcalian]

Oh, she dabbled with both Sarry and Jonny before time. Sarevok will find her "vaguely familiar" in TOB, but having died twice, won't be able to place her exactly.

But Adrian will have the same feeling; for she gave him some "help" as well, in Durlag's Tower.