Planar Escapade

Andi lay curled in her bed, surrounded by a wrapping of tattered wool blankets and satin sheets. Only a single candle burned in the room, letting out a smell of lavender. She could feel deep contentment radiating from the small viper with his head leaning against her cheek. Ahhh. You're warm. Warm. Kosj's tongue darted in and out, smelling the pleasant aroma, tickling her cheek and enjoying the process of absorbing her body heat through his scales.

A jolt registered through her body, and while she blinked in astonishment, a very bright light shone down into her eyes. Ahhhhhh!!!

A tightness around her neck kept her string of curse-words down. Of course, she was now on her feet, and her familiar had tightened in fright.

I can't breathe! She thought at Kosj.

Sorry. He loosened. Um. You're not going to like this.

I already don't. Andi looked around. Glowing red runes surrounded her in a ten foot wide circle. Nope, not good. She looked up at the darkened room, to the tall shapes of people not being blinded by a carefully aimed light. She knew who they were.

"Did you summon me?!" She asked, flabbergasted. "I could have taken the stairs! Why waste the spell? You could have easily sent me a message, that's a fricken cantrip!" She suddenly stopped. She could see now, she knew it was her father, her master and his friends...but they were wearing their elaborate black silk robes, and their jade and golden filigree masks. They were sitting in levitating chairs looking down at her.

Oh, crap, we're dead. She sighed.

Laughter washed over her. "Oh my, is my daughter getting a backbone?" Her father's icy voice intoned. "What brilliant timing."

"Am I on trial? Is there any particular reason I wasn't allowed to at least put on a robe first?" She asked in mild irritation. She didn't like to be seen in her underthings. She knew her thighs were embarrassingly big.

"These men and women have iron stomachs, Andalusite, I'm pretty sure that even if I brought you here stark naked they would not wretch." Her father casually informed her. She knew his thin lips were curling into a cruel smile under the mask.

She wanted to argue, she wanted to be sarcastic, but if he was going to kill her this time, she wanted him to face her mother with out a single justification. And if he wasn't going to kill her this time, she wanted to keep his mind away from that option. So she waited. Waiting was a skill she had picked up to annoy other people. Kosj sat on her shoulder, staring at them, moving his tongue in and out, tasting the air.

Lavender tastes better. Kosj thought. And this air, it's cold. We should send it back to the cook.

A small smile curled on her cheek as she patiently stood there, keeping from laughing. You're going to get us killed, Kosj.

Nah, they will get us killed, doesn't matter what we do. We could start singing and dancing, it doesn't matter.

"Do you know why you are here?"

"I don't know. I haven't done anything." She said, shrugging.

"Exactly. Nothing. You've done nothing. Your oldest sister Jashira Niree has a full countryside both groveling at her feet and spellbound by her beauty. Megeisha is the head of a wizards college in Halruua. Bethsuna heads the IronHand temple of Bane that she founded in the Dragon coast, keeping brigands and lawmen alike in fear of her displeasure. She has power of the church and arcane magic, so it's not a small thing for her to accomplish such skill in both. Elibrah is pushing the limits of necromancy. But you." He laughed in contempt. "You're twenty seven. You shouldn't still be an apprentice wizard. Why haven't you told him off? Why haven't you struck out to do something on your own? Why can you stand there and be so...utterly...servile when you could be something worth the time and effort everyone has poured into you? Where is your ambition? Or are you just some spineless coward?!" He demanded, pounding the arm of his chair and snarling.

"Has mother given you permission to kill me for...lack of ambition?" She asked dispassionately. If she infuriated him enough he might just outright kill her.

Don't be silly, you don't want him to kill you.

No, I don't. But I don't want him to clear a few days from his hectic schedule to do it either.

"No." He laughed coldly. "But she's come very close. She has admitted that you need to get out of the fortress and start your own life. I have postulated that if you can't prove yourself useful for once you shouldn't be entitled to continue breathing, and she agrees." She could hear the sneer in his voice. "I suggested that the little quest we have been researching could use another mage, and she agrees."

"A quest?" She asked, as if she didn't suspect which one. No. Not that quest. Why that quest? Hmm, let's get you out of the house! I think throwing you into the nearest planar anomoly might be a great idea! Why the hells couldn't I have normal parents?

I was once around when a man said 'those the gods wish to destroy they first drive mad, mad MAD!' That man had a really evil laugh. Kind of like your father's, but less focused and calm.

"Yes, a quest. Now that we've established that this orb can actually summon whom I choose to without obliterating them, I think I'll set about bringing some of the real players in this quest here. You need to go get some robes on, while I'm confident that no one in this room will wretch, I have no such guarantees about the stomaches of the hardened adventurers that I will be summoning." He laughed derisively.

Jarin looked up from the table where he pored through scrolls in the library of Candlekeep. Aren't they ready yet? in were not known for patience, and even though he passed the rest he still was loosing his attention in the pouring over these ancient tomes of tall-folk deeds. He'd been hoping to find some tales of passed Hin adventurers. It seems the tall-folk weren't too interested in them. Tales of aged wizards with long beards, and apointy hat, Drow adventurers, another old Human wizard, some old prophet, and one more Human wizard, this one neither old nor male, as the other two, and she arose to some sort of position in the Human pantheon. Now normally Jarin would have been interested in the pantheons, and tales, of the tall-folk, but today he lacked the attention for it. He was awaiting a summoning from some uppity tall-folk mages who would like him to go on a quest for information. He sighed and shook his head. He wasn't sure what was so on his nerves today.

Standing he stepped away from the desk and placed the book back on it's shelf. He then turned to one of the aged monks there. After informing them of his imminent departure he stepped downstairs, seeing yet another aged Human wizard standing outside, apparently waiting for someone. He ignored him and continued on thanking the gatekeeper as he left the library fortress behind him. He walked aways into the wilderness before finding stones forming three large circles along the ground. He picked up a few more interesting ones, that were not helping form the circle and slipped them into one of his pouches. He then waited for a few more minutes. That is to say he hopped from foot to foot, jumped up and down, spun in circles, and attempted to climb a nearby tree to look around.

It was then that he saw a portal open before him. He looked at it for a moment and said a few words. It glowed and confident he stepped through...

The orb showed the waiting halfling.

"What method shall we use for this one?" Gregen asked critically.

"Charm, and information, of course." Said Siraven, the head of the council. "Land the chairs, there is no point in trying to intimidate this one, he will come willingly or not at all." The chairs settled to the floor gently, and the red runes flashed invisible around the circle. They were still there, of course, but they were meant for someone else.

Siraven stood and reached up, taking his mask off. He had black hair and yellow eyes. He didn't look like the kind of man who spent long hours reading books. He looked like the kind of man who could take a bow and quiver into the dangerous woods on a new moon with dire wolves howling all around and come back alive and selling dire wolf pelts. He also looked like the kind of man that could sell dire wolf pelts to other dire wolves at a considerable profit, despite any appearant discounting. This was a man that could sell a snow flake to a northerner as a priceless family heirloom. He handed the hin a single peice of parchment.

Arven skimmed idily through the pages of her latest research and yawned. I'm tired. . . . but I need to finish this. . . Her head nodded forward and a few strands of blond hair escaped from her pinned up braids.

Something isn't right. I can feel it. Something is comming. . . for me? The young apprentice shivered, and whimpered aloud.

Then a brilliant portal opened, flooding the room with light. . . and blinding her to all her senses. The wind whipped at her skirt as she clung to her desk, while datapads, papers, and drawings went everywhere. "No!" She shrieked as she lost her grip on the edge of the desk and got sucked into the portal.

Anna swung her sword at Charon, grinning as she penetrated his guard and slashed at his stomach. He only smiled in return as he hefted his great axe to his shoulder.

"Another match won, sister."

"Of course I never lose." She said vainly. She reached out her hand and adsorbed the wound from him and placed it on one of the nearby chained slaves. They both chuckled as a wound opened up on the man and healed painfully causing him to lose his bowels. She handed her helm to Charon and walked away as she wanted to bath after such hard training. A small breeze caught her attention and she turned as a portal opened in front of her. She screamed as she landed in a room, her sword still in hand when chains rose up and pulled her to her knees. The chains wrapped around her wrists tight enough to cause her to drop her weapon and the chains around her neck tighten as she struggled.

"WHAT THE F*CK?!"She screamed.

Arven held her head, trying to stem the tears. Someone's in pain .. and so very anrgy. . I want to help, but I don't know where they are. .. make them stop . ..

Landarah smiled preditorily at her new arrival. She had, of course, just watched the scene of Anna's power over another person in chains. It amused her greatly that she now had Anna in such a helpless position. Of course, the animated chains were a regular feature of this particular room, but she couldn't have hoped for any better occurance to be fresh in the girl's mind than had just happened.

Landarah wore a ceremonial black silk robe with small filigree golden buttons all the way up to her neck. Thousands of gold capped ebony braids curled around her head and down her back like an elaborate headress. She left the mask on a table halfway across the room. Landarah had smooth, pale skin, half elven pointed ears, jade green eyes dancing with golden flecks, sharp canines and very red lips. The mask could not do her justice, though she wore it on occassion to keep the other mages on task rather than staring mesmerized at her face. Of course, sometimes she kept the mask off just to see the jealous fire in her husband's yellow eyes. She did so enjoy their fights.

"Hello." She said, using long and purring speech. "Not to worry, no f*cking will be required." She assured the girl. "But, you will not like what is required. Now, my husband has this lovely little binding circle he's drawn up especially for you, but I thought we could do this with a little honest chains. Personally, I think being held in place with chains is a little less infuriating than being bound with magical runes. Of course, I'll be binding you with something even more infuriating than magical runes, but not to worry, he would have too." She smiled deeper. "I think I know just the one."

Gregan kept his jade and golden filigree mask on and greeted the girl. Upon arriving, she held her head and broke down into tears. He felt ill at ease looking at her. Siraven had told him to go ahead and summon her before calling on the dangerous one. Sure, he knew this girl could be dangerous enough, but it didn't seem that way looking at her. She was small and pretty and wearing a dress and braids. Of course, many things looked small and pretty until they chose to be dangerous. He felt the other mages close in around her, all wearing their masks. Siraven was still busily attending to the halfling.

"We are the order of Irthos Arcaniss." He intoned gravely. "We have brought you here to serve on a very important mission."

Arven looked up and rubbed at the tears on her face as she shied away from the mages nearest her, only to find herself surrounded. I will not cry, the young apprentice told herself firmly, I will not cry any more. I am not a frightened child, I am an apprentice of the order and I will act as such.

"W-what do you want with me?" She kept most of the tremble out of her voice, though the other person's pain and anger beat at her mind. I can't show that. . . I'm so sorry, I can't help . . She closed her eyes for a moment trying to fight back the tears. If I help, they'll know what I can do . . and I know what happens then. ANd I -won't- let that happen again. She shuddered and opened her eyes.

"We are the order of Irthos Arcaniss." He intoned gravely. "We have brought you here to serve on a very important mission."

Arven blinked, very confused. They were an Order? "What sort of Order, sir?" Then she clapped a hand over her mouth. That must have been rude. They would be mad now. "I'm sorry . . . but sir, w-why did you pick me, There are hundreds of people better able to do a mission then me. I'm just a medic." She looked down at the floor. It was likely they already knew of what she was. . . but she was too afraid to say that aloud. And why her? If they needed a medic, what about Leony, or David? They were both a lot better then she was. And most people tended to get mad at her when she went planetside with infantry. Really mad.

The girl looked up at them and rubbed the tears from her eyes.

"W-what do you want with me?" She attempted to straighten up and strengthen her voice.

"We are the order of Irthos Arcaniss." He intoned gravely. "We have brought you here to serve on a very important mission."

The girl blinked. Gregen knew she was some sort of alien mage, could it be that she didn't speak draconic? Well, she was from another world. Siraven had insisted that they wear their masks when this one came, claiming something along the lines of damage resistance. Siraven had told everyone that if they couldn't win a mental domination contest with a Mind flayer, they should put their masks on in the presence of the frail looking girl. When Siraven said things like that, it made him nervous.

"What sort of Order, sir?" Then she clapped a hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry . . . but sir, w-why did you pick me, There are hundreds of people better able to do a mission then me. I'm just a medic." She looked down at the floor.

Gregen surpressed the urge to backhand her. The apologizing and spinelessness, it reminded him of Andi and her hopping to and tripping all over herself, instead of behaving like a creature with dignity. He'd endured so many years with that annoying...but this wasn't Andi. And he didn't even have to put up with this girl for a number of hours, much less years. He held his breath and slowly let it out.

"The Order of Irthos Arcaniss is an order of mages and scholars dedicated to uncovering the secrets of all existance, even those on other planes and other planets. Of course, it is a risky business. Very risky. Medics will probably come in quite handy. You will be bringing something to the table that not very others can. The perspective of a completely different world, one that is closer to the targetted world. Also, you don't look very harmful, and you probably won't draw as much attention as our other choices. Then there is the matter of leverage. We've been watching you and we know how to deal with you. You're teacher is perfectly safe and will continue to be, as long as you cooperate." He smiled generously.

"The Order of Irthos Arcaniss is an order of mages and scholars dedicated to uncovering the secrets of all existance, even those on other planes and other planets. Of course, it is a risky business. Very risky."

Arven nodded, frowning. Why me? I'm just a medic. . . I don't know what I'll be able to do . . . she thought, but said nothing. I don't want to make him mad. I can't read him. . . I have no way of telling if he's lying. . . That was scary, it was like dealing with a robot.

"Medics will probably come in quite handy. You will be bringing something to the table that not very others can. The perspective of a completely different world, one that is closer to the targetted world. Also, you don't look very harmful, and you probably won't draw as much attention as our other choices."

Arven nodded again. That made sense. . . and it didn't sound too bad. He said it was risky, but everything was.

"Then there is the matter of leverage." Arven's eyes flew open. What? What does he mean? Oh, no . . .

"We've been watching you and we know how to deal with you. You're teacher is perfectly safe and will continue to be, as long as you cooperate." He smiled generously.

Arven gaped. "N-no. . . you can't do that!" Her hands balled at her side, despite the tears that had re-appeared on her face. "I --" If I could trust their word, I would go. . . but I can't. I can't trust them and I know it, and I would never get anywhere. But I can't leave Mistress Amendell and Master Shaaleth with these people. . . they're almost as mean as -him-.

She raised her trembling hand. "I. . . I don't want to hurt you. . . . please, let them go." Please, by all the stars, don't make me hurt you. . .

The girl gaped. "N-no. . . you can't do that!" Her hands balled at her side, and tears glistened in her eyes. "I --" She started, and trembled, raising her hand. "I. . . I don't want to hurt you. . . . please, let them go." He couldn't help but laugh. Of course Siraven had told him that she would be upset and that this took a certain finesse, though everything that was happening at the moment took finesse and he shouldn't have to personally dominate every single one of them and geas them all. The girl had a very obvious weakness, and that should be enough. It wasn't as easy as intimidating Andi into submission but few things were.

"Are you going to attack a room full of mages?" He asked as if a mere child suggested backhanding a sleeping dragon instead of sneaking out of the room like any sensible person would have.

Soren pulled back the branch, dislodging a heap of snow, and stuck his head through the gap. He looked from side to side, straining his eyes against the endless snow. It was already beginning to melt, and a look to the woman behind him showed that she was tiring quickly.

"Are you well, my queen?"

She raised her face to look at him. Her pale white skin was slick with sweat, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. her smile seemed to light the dark day though, and as always, it turned his heart inside out.

"I'm fine, Soren. We must find shelter for the night though."

He nodded grimly. She was lying, her knew that she needed to rest urgently, and endeavoured to find a convenient cave as soon as possible. They were out of his usual stomping grounds, and everything was new. Still, the snow was heavy enough, and they weren't far from the cause of The Thaw.

They trekked on for another half an hour, the air becoming ever so slightly warmer as they did so. Eventually, Soren was forced to stop them both, and set up camp where they were. She tried to argue, but he shushed her, and she quietly accepted, too tired to continue. She sat on the stump of a frozen tree while he dug out a hollow in the snow, and lined t with blankets. He helped her into the nest, and climbed in after, pulling another blanket over both of them. She took his hand for the briefest of moments, and gave him a grateful smile.

"Rest, Soren. Tomorrow we will come to the bottom of this Thaw."

He nodded, and within moments heard her breathing slow to the steady pulse of sleep. He soon followed...

...and woke up somewhere completely different. The first thing he noticed was the heat. While not excessive, to someone who had grown up in the snow, and had never been to a warmer land, the heat was stifling. Next to him, he could hear his queen waking up, and could smell the sweat coming from their cold bodies. He placed a hand over his wrist to check his body temperature, and felt that he was warming. The bluish tint to his skin was fainter than usual, and the queen's face was flushed. Too warm.

"Good evening, Soren." A cold voice came from deeper in the room, and a masked figure loomed menacingly.

The Halfling accepted the scroll and read it through once. 'The Wee Hero' was written on it and he raised his eyebrows for a moment before reading through it. It was the story of a Hin adveturer no doubt one who'd amassed quite some fame before returning from his world walk. It said that his children had gone out and not recieved as much luck, one perishing in the Frozen North, in a town called Kuldahar, and two passing through Thay were lost. The father had passed away in a Hin town before hearing news of their deaths. He considered it thoughtfully for a moment. The Hillwalkers claimed a tale similer of one of their ancestors. He looked up at the face before him. "Are you sure this is correct?" He asked glancing back at it again.

Anna stared up at Landarah as she spoke. The only thing Anna was interested in was getting free and gutting the woman.

"I don't know if you realize what I am. I warn you now if you do not release me your death will be slow." She threw her head back proudly. "I am the daughter of Bhaal, and I do so live up to his legacy."

"Are you sure this is correct?" The halfling asked glancing back at it again.

Siraven smiled. "I am. This is the one I willing to give for free. I am also willing to give you information on what became of the two who went through Thay." He said, smiling charmingly. "But I have need of an adventuring party to explore a place for me, and I know that merely offering you gold would be...foolish on my part. You could get gold from anyone. Detailed knowledge is harder to find than gold." He said knowingly.

Getting the books and scrolls required hadn't been easy. He had expected that Megeisha would be able to secure it for him with her wide ties to information networks. She had found out that there was a surviving human bard who had gone through Thay and learned the tale of the two lost halflings there. She hadn't been able to locate the bard, but she had provided his name. Then he thought perhaps his sorceress daughter Jishira Niree, with the legions of men who would do anything she wanted would be able to find out from the bard what had happened. But the bard wasn't found in her realm. Just a few information scrolls had come from her, though they were fairly detailed tales of halfling significance. It had shocked him when Bethsuna had been the one that brought a bard in at sword point. Siraven had watched in amusement and felt a considerable fatherly pride watching her forcibily extract the information from the bard- in the end, Siraven's three scribes had copied out all the information the man knew, and the bard was no longer a living source. It also amused him that this human bard had escaped from Thay, and the underdark, but never survived Bethsuna.

"As scholars we wish to learn some knowledge ourselves, and we are founding an expedition to learn something about another world. Of course, this travel will be difficult and some people may be hurt and so I think it might be a good idea to have a cleric along."

Siraven handed him another parchment, this one with a halfling's name that he knew Jarin would recognize, if not the person, the family she belonged to. "This is a hin wizard who dissappeared during the time of troubles, during a magic mishap, years later, one of our mages was contacting another plane to converse with the denizens there, and happened to contact her instead. She didn't speak too long, but she had mentioned that she'd been exploring the planes ever since and that she'd come back whenever she got bored with it. Of course, she's been gone for years, but it was an interesting fact I came across when I started looking into our records for any information to offer you."

"I don't know if you realize what I am. I warn you now if you do not release me your death will be slow." She threw her head back proudly. "I am the daughter of Bhaal, and I do so live up to his legacy."

"And if I do, it will be fast." Landarah laughed. "Of course I know what you are. Why do you think my husband picked you? I'm sure that of the number of Bhaalspawn he could have picked, he picked you because you do have the good sense that my daughter lacks, combat ability that the other weaklings lack and the ability to heal if the other two healers are paralysed by fear or conscience. Or some other weakness that we haven't had time to catalogue. And just like a demon, we're going to have to force you to obey." She smiled preditorily again and licked her canines.

A light, tenative knock echoed from a dark corner of the room. Irritation flashed in her green eyes, but didn't diminish her smile. "Yeeesss?"

"Mother, can I speak to you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Why certainly, sweetie, come right in." She smiled maliciously, turning around to face the door.

A brown haired human girl, a bit on the tall side came in, closing the door behind her. She turned around to face them, green and gold eyes adjusting to the darkness, and saw the scene. "Ohyou'rehungry!!!I'll-go-away!!" She tried to turn around quickly, tripped over her own feet, slammed her head into the iron wood door, and crumpled pathetically to the ground.

Landarah sighed in exasperation. "Andi, how many times have I told you that I've made it a policy to eat breakfast? You never even see me anymore before I've had at least a few gnolls or orcs. Now get up and pretend you have some degree of pride. That's a good girl. And before you embarrass yourself further, yes, your father has petitioned me many times for the right to remove you from your skin. I have endlessly defended your right to prove your usefulness. I seem to have this annoying delusion that you are a late bloomer, and that maybe there is something special in you that justifies your continued existance. Even I grow tired of such optimism." Her smile disappeared. "Now you will prove yourself useful or I will let him kill you for months. I'll make it possible. Do you understand?" Landarah asked, pointedly.

"Yesmother!" Andi yelped, swallowing.

"Good. Now, I believe I was about to introduce you to someone who will be going on your little excursion with you." She smiled again, licking her canines.

"Um, hello." Andi laughed nervously. "I'm um, pleased to meet you, sorry about the chains and all."

"If Annie here wasn't in chains you'd be a messy mist of blood right now and I'd be having to actually fight her." She smiled.

"A demoness queen?" Andi guessed.

"No, this is Anna, one of the many daughters of Bhaal, the previous god of murder." Landarah corrected charmingly.

"Oh. Of course. Why would you anger a demoness queen when you could anger a godling instead?" She said in despair.

Landarah laughed. "Now, you two will have plenty of time to talk later, now why don't you run along and prepare your spells?" She said, turning back to Anna.

Anna watched the interaction between the mother and child and only her laughter at the daughter's clumsiness showed she was watching. She sighed as the two talked as if she was deaf. It irritated her that the woman still believed she would do anything she said. Anna stared forlornly at her sword, if only she could reach it, she would be able to throw it at the woman. –Hehe, nail her in the eye.- She smiled at the thought.

“Ok, I’m getting bored now. So how about you release me from the chains and we’ll talk like civilized people.” Anna said innocently, having no intention of doing so.

Jarin did indeed recognize the name. In fact the girl had been the first to make the Great Choice as far back as he could remember. He had been only around ten years at the time but remembered her well. They had been cousins. He sighed at a few memories. He looked back up at the mage almost as if judging him for a moment. He really wished he'd studied some spells to detect lies, bluffs, and alignments, but had felt his Hin senses good enough. THe mage seemed very sincere but something almost didn't feel right. He sighed again. Well, my luck hasn't run out yet. Let's hope it isn't about too. He looked back up at the mage and nodded before he spoke. "Alright, you have me interested. What is it you want of me, exactly? What does this, expedition look for?"

"Alright, you have me interested. What is it you want of me, exactly? What does this, expedition look for?"

"I think you'll find that I've brought together a group that has a few healers, as there will be a time when each different type of healing may be the only effective one. I don't expect you will need to exhaust yourself being the healer all the time, but should the need arise, I would feel more safe entrusting my youngest daughter to such a dangerous task if I knew that you would be there."