Session 114

General Summary

• Kiirni thrust a dead seagull at Dazki in anger.
• Apparently, Roamer was using this seagull for his transformation, and he should have changed back when it died, but Roamer is still stuck as a seagull.
• Kiirni blames Dazki's interference for this. She also claimed that she's being chased by an ambush, so they should all continue down the same tunnel Barry had gone down. The party followed, delayed somewhat by having to reel Barry back in, though there was a giant clam on the other end of the rope.
• Further down the tunnel, the water gradually thinned out, smoothly transitioning into really humid (breathable) air. Dazki continued following Kiirni, the rest of the party trailing further behind.
• They regrouped with Barry, who seems to have been unconscious and claims to have been attacked by the clam that the rest of the party pulled out.
• They stopped at a a puzzle door, which they opened by striking notes on a set of tubular bells corresponding to what they were focusing on in their mind.
• Next was a spherical anti-magic, anti-flight, anti-shenanigans chamber with bubbling acid lining the bottom. In order to cross, they had to make a leap of faith and trust that they would not fall. This was a challenge for Kiirni, and she momentarily lost her cool, but Dazki helped her across and she was quickly back to her usual self.
• The next stretch was very long and monotonous, passing under the Invictus Una and beyond into The Phantasmagoria, where unusual impossible events started happening on a regular basis.
• The tunnel abruptly ended at a clog of mud, vines, and crystal blocking their path. They stopped for a long rest, when Grogery got a call on the Rotor of Return.
• The new voice urged them to get Pendel to send them back in time again so he could influence where they would end up and they could continue their quest.

Full Recap

Dwardazik: I thought that was the last time we'd see your face around here.   Dazki: Dwardazik, why don't you, Grogery, and Marvin keep a hold of that rope and make sure Barry doesn't need anything, OK? Kesmet and I can talk to her.   Dwardazik: Grogery, can you watch 'em? I don't trust 'em...   Grogery: I can hold a rope and watch at the same time.   Dazki, moving forward to address Kiirni: Kiirni. First of all — I was hoping to never see you again. Second of all, think very carefully before you say your next words. I'm assuming something is going on with Roamer, based on that response, but remember — he knocked me out, impersonated me, charmed one of my friends, and stabbed him in the back, then you turned into Marvin and shot Kesmet with a Lightning Bolt! So, I'm not holding a grudge, but you'd better pick your words carefully if you think I'm gonna give a shit about what's going on!   Kesmet: I'm fairly certain she missed me!

Kiirni, as she passes, heading towards the tunnel: I don't have time for any of this.   Dazki, following: Why do I have a dead bird in my hand? You wanna explain some things?

Kiirni continues her path directly towards the tunnel. Kesmet steps in front to block her way, but she polymorphs him into a goose and tries to continue past him, but Marvin stops her advance by making her dance in place, her hood cawing angrily as she does.

Dwardazik, still holding the rope but grabbing his mace with the other hand: Kiirni. Stop where you are and turn Kesmet back before you start any more trouble. I'm willing to hear you out, only because I'd never hear the end of it from Dazki.   Grogery: The last time we saw Roamer, he was a seagull. I think something might be wrong with his shapeshifting.   Kiirni, still dancing: None of us have time for this.   Goose Kesmet: Honk.   Kiirni: Well, you can either stay here and die to the ambush, or follow me down to the hole. Which would involve letting me go. Those are your only two options.   Dazki, heading towards the hole: OK, what the hell does this bird have to do with anything? Do I need to tie it around my neck for luck, or something?   Goose Kesmet, biting Kiirni's ankle and taking to the air to fly around her: Honk.   Marvin: Turn our friend back and we might listen to you. If there's an ambush, we're gonna need firepower from a guy like him, so it's in all of our best interests if you change him back. Otherwise, you're gonna keep dancing. So prove to us that you're being truthful by showing some goodwill, because you haven't shown any yet.   Dwardazik: An ambush? From where? Whose forces? When? (He tugs the rope a few times, forcefully. It seems lighter than he remembers.)   Grogery, Sending a message to Barry: We have a situation here. Please come back. (He gets a reply that seems to shake him up a bit.)  

Kiirni manages to break free of Marvin's dance spell, and she drops the polymorph on Kesmet at the same time. Dazki confirms that someone — or something— is indeed approaching the area.

Dazki: I do hear something coming this way. I think she's telling the truth, guys.   Marvin: See? Thank you, Kiirni. Now, if we need to get through this hole, we'd like to know why, and who/where this ambush is coming from. Though it seems like you're in a hurry, so I understand you want to get down there now. We can't just go in there blind — we might get ambushed from the other side! You understand where we're coming from, right?   Kiirni: If you're interested in more information, or are too cowardly to go through the hole, you're more than welcome to stay up here. I'm leaving.   Marvin: There's a fine line between being a coward and being a fool.   Kiirni: Well, enjoy being one or the other. (She dives in.)   Grogery: Dazki, follow Kiirni. We might have to follow her.   Marvin, Dwardazik, and Grogery begin reeling the rope back in as quickly as possible.   Dazki: Whatever that noise is, whoever it is, is moving this way. We definitely need to figure out what's going on quick.

Dazki jumps in after Kiirni, and Kesmet follows closely behind. Marvin casts Bigby's Hand and has the hand pry the clam open, as Dwardazik stands at the ready to pull Barry out (and Grogery stands at the ready to pull Dwardazik out if needed). As soon as the clam opens, however, the rope gives way and the party falls backwards: Barry isn't here.

Grogery: Wait... is this Barry?   Marvin: Is that even possible?!   Grogery: Kesmet turned into a goose.

Dwardazik takes the pearl and hands it to Grogery, who stuffs it into the bag of holding. They decide to disregard the clam after throwing it back into the water so it stops drowning, and all follow the forward group, the three being further behind. As they realize this and begin to run out of breath, Dazki and Kesmet both bravely decide to breathe. Which they can do. It's fine.

Dazki, intentionally speaking loudly so the others following behind can hopefully hear: Barry, what happened to the rope? Come on, we gotta go!   Barry, holding his head: Ummmmm... dude, how long have I been down here?   Dazki, ushering him to walk along with them: Few minutes.   Barry is reluctant, as if he has regained consciousness just now.   Dazki: What's wrong? Is everything OK, Barry?   Barry: UM... ... ... ...what are you doing down here?!   Dazki: Kiirni just went through here. Apparently, there's going to be some kind of an ambush, and we're trying to escape it.   Barry: So... ...I did good, then?   Dazki: Yeah, you did good! How long has it been for you?   Barry: Waaaait, wait-wait-wait! How do I know you're you?! You could be anybody!   Dazki: How do you want me to prove it? Is —   Barry: I COULD BE ANYBODY! ...wait... am I me?!   Dazki: Yes, and I'm me. Now that that's settled, let's GO!   The rest of the party catches up.   Marvin: Barry, are you OK? We thought you were eaten by a clam!   Grogery: OK, he's not a clam.   Marvin: Yeah, are you OK?   Barry: Um... d'uh... the clam took my rope.   Marvin: So, it didn't hurt you —   Barry: How do I know you're you?! HOW DO YOU KNOW THEY'RE THEM?!   Grogery: They haven't left my sight for, like, twelve hours. Also, you know it's me, because I know you healed me back in Ashport.   Dwardazik: Barry. Listen. We gotta go.   Marvin: And you know it's me, because I gave you that gun.

Dazki is still staying right on Kiirni's tail. Dazki lights a torch as he follows Kiirni.

The Door of Music

Kiirni: Why don't you just... just... just die, already?   Dazki: Umm... ...I don't know how to take that... uh, no one has killed me yet. What exactly is going on?   Kiirni, frustratedly: ...OK! OK, OK, fine. Since, you know, you're SOOO helpful... you've broke it. You've contaminated it with your orderliness! I'm sure of it!   Dazki: What is "it"?   Kiirni: You still have the bird I gave you?   Dazki: ...yeah?   Kiirni: I shouldn't've been able to hand you that bird. What did you do?   Dazki: I... took the bird from you. Would you care to be a little bit more descriptive? What do you mean, "what did I do"?   Kiirni: This seagull is Roamer's seagull. I should not have it dead.   Dazki: ...OK?   Kiirni: And it's here, and it's your fault — (she points back to the live seagull in her hood) — that THIS has happened!   Dazki: So, Roamer is stuck as that seagull?   Kiirni: I guess! From "orderliness", or something. It's gotta be!   Dazki: Why does it have to be that?   Kiirni: His power was aided by chaos, and then YOU touched it, and now it's different.   Dazki: Or it could be: you know how chaos is change? It could be that the chaos caused it to change.   Kiirni: Well, I don't care what your bullshit reasoning is for it, I'm going into The Phantasmagoria, and we're going to de-orderify this, and I don't know what you're going to do, since you are SO not helpful right now.   Dazki: How could I be "helpful", then? What would "help"?   Kiirni: Jump into a fire and die.   The rest of the party catches up, and Kesmet throws "a baseball of fire" at her. It misses.   Kiirni: See, this is what I'm talking about! It's this terrible urge to say you're going to help, and then just being a dick about it that I can't stand.   Kesmet: I never said I was going to help. That was for turning me into a goose!   Dazki: I can't control Kesmet, and telling me that I should die in a fire? Not really giving me good advice on how I could actually help. So, other than me dying, what can I do? Because we need to get to the Phantasmagoria too.   Kiirni: No you don't. I need to get to the Phantasmagoria.   Marvin: I don't think you understand the same language we're speaking, apparently. He said "too". He wasn't saying you don't need to get there. He's saying that we also need to get there. Your listening comprehension is really bad, Kiirni.   Dwardazik: Fuckin' elves...   Roamer (as a seagull): Honk.   Marvin: Eat a dick, Roamer.   Dwardazik: Well, I have to say, elves make the most pleasant conversationalists!   Marvin: Not the time, Dwardazik. Not the time.   Grogery: Is the problem that the door won't open, or is Kiirni just not letting us in?   Dazki: I would assume number two.   Kiirni: Listen, I don't care what you do from here on out, as long as it doesn't concern making my life worse. Like, do you get that? I finally have, like, a chance to lead somewhat of an OK life, and you're sittin' in here dickin' with it.   Marvin: Then go! We're going the same direction! As soon as the path splits, go ahead, all right? We just also need to get over there.   Dwardazik: Oh my gosh, these fucking drow ARE SO... ... ...happy thoughts...   Dazki: Look, we never intended to mess up your life. We didn't know you would be on that ship, it was pure coincidence, and it's kinda Roamer's fault.   Marvin: Yeah, he's not wrong.   Kesmet: And if it wasn't coincidence — if it was orchestrated by chaos or whatever — well that wasn't us.   Kiirni: Well, then, how do you propose we fix this problem?   Marvin: "Problem"? It sounds like you have a personal problem. We'll get the door open, but —   Kesmet: You mentioned something about someone dying in a fire?   Grogery: Do you need us? Does the door not open?   Kiirni: Listen, I don't need you —   Grogery: Or do you just not want us to follow you through the door?   Dwardazik: Dazki, can we just go? If we're not gonna kill this drow, then whatever, can we just continue on our mission instead of just listening to this shit?   Dazki: Seeing as we're at a dead end and we don't know how to proceed any further, I'm gonna go ahead and say no.   Marvin: Dazki, you can pick any lock in the world. I've seen it firsthand.   Kiirni: You know what? I'm feeling generous today. Go on! Go through the tunnel. I'm gonna wait right here. And when I hear the sounds of you screaming and dying a horrible death, I'm not gonna come.   Marvin: Wait-wait-wait a second. You literally just said "oh, there's an ambush comin' behind you, we better go this way or else we're dead", and now you're saying if we go further, then we're also dead? Which is it?   Kiirni: I mean, you're dead either way.   Dazki: I think you underestimate us.   Grogery: So, were you going to die if you walked through that door?   Kiirni: Um, probably not.   Marvin: And why is that?   Kiirni: Because I have respect for the way things could be different. I'm not gonna force myself through all the shenanigans, I'm not gonna change who I am, to just feel more right about myself.   Marvin: I have never heard someone say so little with so many words.   Dazki: Oh, come on, you listen to yourself talk all the time!   Marvin: OK... OK, that was pretty good... I liked that... but...   Marvin: OK, fuck, that was good... that was good...   Kiirni: I don't need this.   Marvin: Show us how it's done, then!   Kiirni: No, you got this! You're so~o~o~o clever! I'm going over here, and I'll just wait.   Marvin: I thought you were gonna die if you didn't make it through?   Kiirni: I mean, the ambush isn't going to make it HERE immediately.   Marvin: "Immediately"? He sits down. I want to see how this turns out. You seem to know something that we don't.   (Insight 22) Kiirni has a tough soldier-like / nihilistic exterior, which she uses as a defense mechanism. As protection. Against the harsher outer worlds. She's lashing out, because something else is bothering her. What is currently bothering her is that: she doesn't know how to get through this door... and she doesn't want to ask for your help, because you guys are the enemy... and she just wants to help Roamer, and... and... and you guys have just been... just so much of a pain...   Marvin: Dazki, I know you can get this door open.   Dazki: Well... Kiirni, you were coming down here. Is there any trick to opening this door? How does it open? What's on the other side?   Kiirni: Wouldn't you like to know?   Dazki: Yes, I would. That's why I asked.   Kiirni: Figure it out.   Marvin: So, you don't know.   Dazki: That's what I'm getting. You don't know, do you?   Kiirni: I do know! I do know how to open the door, but I'm not helping you!

Dwardazik taps the door gently with his mace. Dwardazik mentions this to everyone else.

Dwardazik: ...and if it wasn't for the fact that it looks like this is a door, I would say we're just looking at the base of The Wall™!

Kesmet walks over to the door and knocks on it, shouting "Hello? Can we come in?". There is no reply.

Dazki: Marvin, do you mind coming over here and taking a look at the door with me?

Dazki heads over to the door.

Dazki: Marvin, can you figure out any kind of musical pattern from this? Anything that might have to do with those bells back there?

Dazki investigates the bells themselves. Dazki points this out, and Kesmet takes out a hand mirror, which also shows the graffiti in the reflection. They think about this out loud for a while.

Kiirni: See? It's convoluted impossible shit. You'll never get through!   Dazki: Why don't you show us how it's done, then?   Kiirni scoffs.

They work on trying to figure out the puzzle a bit. After a few failed attempts, Grogery has an idea that seems to do something: he hits the bell that plays a "B" note, while mentally focusing on how much he wants to "Be", how much he wants other things to continue to "Be", etc. One of the gears starts to try to turn in its engraving, its lights flickering an orange color, but it's still stuck in place. On Dazki's suggestion, Grogery tries just hitting the "B" bell without any intent behind it, and the gear stops trying to turn. Kesmet chimes in and starts hitting the one that Marvin identifies as an "F", thinking about "Fire" and his "Friends" (and sometimes "D" while thinking about "Dennis"). Together, the notes sound something like this (but on the bells, not the random piano I grabbed): Marvin enters hitting the "A", "B", and "C" bells with "meaning", but without meaning attached to those specific letters, so the door doesn't budge. It sounds like: Marvin stops, and Dwardazik comes in, hitting the "G" bell, thinking about gold. The door will open with this lovely melody:

Dazki: Good job, guys! I'm impressed!   Kesmet: I can't believe that worked!   Marvin: I don't know why the door didn't like mine...   Dwardazik: You have to do it with feeling!   Marvin: I did!   Dwardazik: Naw, you were thinking of the story, you weren't thinking of yourself in the story. Gotta think with the heart!

Kiirni stands up to continue through, but Dazki blocks her way.

Kiirni: What now?   Dazki: I thought you wanted to let us go to our deaths on the other side of the door, and you were going to wait? Doesn't seem like that's what you're doing, so... want to tell us what's really going on here?   Marvin: She clearly didn't know how to open it.   Dazki: Yeah, I know, it was obvious.   Kesmet: We didn't fuckin' know either, OK? This was pure luck.   Marvin: Kiirni, all I'll say at this point is that we only got through this because we trust each other as a group, the five of us.   Kesmet: And we're absolute experts at bullshitting.   Marvin: That too, but, maybe hopefully you could find some people? You and Roamer could get a gang together and have similar sort of shenanigans. You don't need to go solo, all right?   Kiirni: I'm not going solo.   Marvin: You sure about that? Because it really looks like you are.   Dazki: So where are you going? I'm assuming, to try to get whatever happened to Roamer reversed, right?   Kiirni: If he got all of his amazing abilities by being in the Phantasmagoria for just the briefest periods of time, then going back there will grant him at least some semblance of something. Instead of what you've done to him, which is to make him be stuck as a bird.   Dazki: So, it sounds like you're just guessing at all of this, then?   Kesmet: How do you know he wasn't a bird by default?   Dwardazik, in an obviously forced tone: Kiirni, I have an offer for you. This offer is: we're already heading to the Phantasmagoria for one of our objectives, to cure Turmoil. Clearly, your companion is suffering from an ailment of Turmoil. Maybe if you felt so inclined to head in the same direction and tell us what you know, we can solve both our problems quicker. Or, we could simply leave you behind. Because you clearly don't know what's going on.   Kiirni: It is not a disease of Turmoil. You messed with his brain, which is very uncalled-for.   Dazki: To be fair, he messed with my brain. I was just trying to resist or break out of whatever he was doing.   Kiirni: That sounds like more problems with you, and not more problems with me.   Marvin: You're not really someone to take accountability for anything, are you?   Dwardazik: I gotta say, my shoulder itches...   Kesmet, yelling: Stop blaming everything on us!   Kesmet hurls another "baseball of fire" at her. It hits.   Grogery: Kesmet, stop. This is not helping us, OK? Chill!   Kiirni: I don't have to help you. I don't have to do anything with you.   Dwardazik: That's fine and dandy.

Dwardazik dusts himself off, gets out his lantern, and looks through the door.

Marvin: Dwardazik, are you sure your shoulder's all right?   Dwardazik: Oh, uh, even with Grogery's healing, it's hard to quite forget the feeling of a blade being stabbed through your shoulderblades.   Marvin: Oh. I was afraid something was going to grow out of your shoulder.   Dwardazik: Maybe pure rage, and my fist hitting her face, but nah. Honestly, I think the satisfaction I would gain by killing her would be offset by the sheer amount of bitching I would get from Dazki.   Marvin: You know, I'm happy with that decision, but not for the reason...   Dazki: Agreed.   Marvin: Listen, Kiirni, —   Kiirni: Can we at least walk and talk so we don't all die?!   Kesmet: First, you gotta stop blaming us for random crap that wasn't our fault. There's plenty of crap that was our fault. We don't need extra that wasn't, on top of that.   Dwardazik: Does it really matter what she thinks?   Kesmet: I find it very irritating!   Marvin: I guess, if it's good enough for you — that if you don't help us, we don't help you — or if we do help each other. I'm good either way. But sure, let's go. Keep walking.

They keep walking forward. Grogery starts talking to Kiirni himself.

Grogery: Listen, Kiirni, —   Kiirni: Yeah, what. What now. Do you want me to be """grateful""" that you've healed people? 'cause I didn't ask.   Grogery: No. I heal people because —   Kiirni: LITERALLY never asked.   Grogery: That's fine. I heal people because I want to help them, whether they ask for it or not, OK? I understand that this is kind of terrifying, because Roamer has a set of abilities that he's come to depend on — that you've come to depend on — and expect to work. And now that they don't, it's like there's a gaping hole; you didn't realize you depended on them so much, and that it's hard to tell what's going to happen. I understand that you're very stressed out about this.   Grogery (cont'd): I was raised in an elven family, and I have someone I was very close to back home. Once I got strong enough in my faith that I was able to send him messages, I started doing it every night. When we had an encounter with the Turmoil that made that not work anymore, yeah, that upsets me a lot. I'm just saying that I know where you're coming from, and that you don't need to lash out at us about it. We're all just trying to get through this, we're all just trying to seek solutions to our individual problems. Regardless of what these people want, I want to help people.   Kiirni: Great. So you're one of those righteous "holier-than-thou" types. I got it.   Grogery: It's not about being better than people. It's because this is the place that I've found in the world, and it's what works for me.   Marvin: Grogery's one of those cool guys who's like, "no one's actually beneath me, period". He accepts all beings, regardless of class, race, anything.   Grogery: If you get down to it, this also hurts on a deeper level. No one would respect a goblin that would steal things, or that picks fights, or manipulates people. If I'm not a good person, when I can use this magic, then the question is, who am I, actually? So, you can understand that when my god lets something like this happen to me, then yes, it does freak me out. But by being able to not have that control me, I'm at least able to try to make some forward progress. Does that make sense?   Kiirni: You deserve to be scared. Everyone is alone. To blame all of your problems — and all of your solutions — on others is idiotic. It's how people get killed without realizing that they're already dead.   Grogery: You're blaming your problems on us.   Marvin: It's impossible to be brave if you're never scared.   Kiirni: If you never learn to look after yourself, you will only blame others.   Dwardazik: Everyone, hold. Dazki, what do you hear?

Dazki: Some kind of a bubbling in front of us, but I mean, we can't really go backwards. So, onward ho.   Dwardazik: Let's be cautious and keep going.   Dazki: ...because we hadn't been doing that this whole time?...   Dwardazik: Uh... hmmm... talking a lot...   Marvin: Maybe we should keep the talking to a minimum?   Kiirni: I like that idea.   Grogery: Yeah, it's fine, I get tired of my own voice, too.   Dwardazik: I have a suspicion that the bubbling could be a slime?   Grogery: Could be the water coming back.   Dazki: There's a lot of stuff it could be. Let's just keep quiet and move forward.

Dwardazik shutters his lantern.

Dazki, quietly: So, Dwardazik, what is it that you think is up here that's got you so scared?   Dwardazik: There are creatures in the tunnels. These are rogue tunnels.   Dazki: So, anything specific, or are you just being extraordinarily cautious?   Dwardazik: These tunnels remind me of some of the most remote, abandoned mines that I've been in. And, frankly, the things I saw there — well, they're why there's rumors about the drow.   Dazki: Got it. So, nothing specific, just extraordinary caution. Got it.

Leap of Faith

Dazki goes up to the edge of the pipe and uses his longbow to prod the space, checking for an invisible bridge. Nothing solid, but his motion startles the bird awake. The bird starts flapping its wings furiously, to no avail — unable to fly, it plummets in the acid below with a terrible hiss. He then nocks an arrow an shoots it at a corpse. It is, indeed, a somewhat freshly dead person.   Kiirni casts Spider Climb and starts walking along the sphere, but as soon as she gets five feet beyond the end of the pipe, her Spider Climb no longer works, and she begins to fall. Dazki tries to grab her (Dexterity 9) but fails. Dwardazik drops his mace and shield, jumps into the air, grabbing his Eagle Whistle. He starts blowing the whistle as he tries to grab and save her. His whistle likewise takes him only about five feet into the chamber before it stops working as well, and they both continue to fall...

Kesmet: Oh, so, it's like an invisible maze, and there's some parts of the floor that are not good.   Dazki: Yeah. Obviously. So, we'll have to use sticks or poles or something like that to find our way slowly across. Shouldn't be too hard. Dwardazik, Kiirni, can one of you try tapping the spot directly below me and see if it's safe for me to drop down right there?

Kesmet reaches into his bag of 1,000 ball bearings. Grogery asks for one, which he gives. Grogery casts Light on it, throws it across trying to hit the other side of the pipe, intending to observe how the light interacts with the room as it arcs. (Athletics 9) it takes several tries to get it to the other side; each time, the light is suppressed while over the acid, but it comes back as the object lands on the other side.   Dwardazik carefully feels for the edges of the floor around him, but... he doesn't feel anything. Even feeling right beneath himself where he's standing, his hand goes through. He asks for help.   Dazki says "fuck it" and just jumps down. He lands about 8 feet down. Trying to probe around carefully for another foothold, he can't seem to find one, however.

Marvin: Well, I WAS going to suggest we Dimension Door over to the other side, but now everyone's too far —   Kiirni: Oh, teleportation doesn't work underneath The Wall™.   Grogery: It would be kind of weird if you could Turmoil-magic teleport through. Probably part of that defensive capability.   Marvin: "Through" The Wall™ is one thing. I guess being under The Wall™... that does make sense. So, OK guys, no one panic. The bird fell. It was sitting there. It fell when it moved. Did anyone get a good look at it?   Dazki: Not really.   Marvin: And you're saying you can't find a better footing than where you currently are?   Kiirni: You know, I bet those guys at the other end of the tunnel knew how to do this puzzle.   Grogery: Well, they're dead, and we're alive, so...

Dwardazik, throwing caution to the wind, just jumps forward with both his feet. He lands in midair just fine. He keeps hopping like this towards the other end of the room. (Athletics 23) Dwardazik climbs up the wall and makes it next to the corpses. Dazki and Kesmet do the same, and Dwardazik helps them up. Marvin picks up Dwardazik's hammer and shield and follows suit.

Kiirni: ...this whole thing is stupid...

Kiirni hops forward a couple times, but she's clearly less confident. Grogery follows closely to make sure that he can catch her if Kiirni's hesitance causes a problem.

Kiirni: It's insane to just willingly jump in acid!   Dazki: Yeah.   Marvin: You get used to doing insane things around us.   Grogery: It feels a little bit Turmoil-y. It doesn't make sense. It's not supposed to make sense.   Kiirni: This whole thing is stupid...   Marvin: Yes, it is stupid.   Grogery: It is stupid, but it'll continue to be stupid until we get across it.

Barry hasn't jumped down yet.

Kesmet: Barry! You see, it's a magic acid pit. Equal and contributing members of the party can cross without any sort of issue.   Marvin: Just do like we did. Just jump, both feet at the same time.   Kiirni, finally having cracked and showing her fear: ...can you carry me?   Grogery: I'm not sure I have the strength. I can carry Roamer if that would help you feel a little better?

Dazki sighs, jumps back to help her. He grabs her hand, and instructs her to jump on the count of three. They go across that way, and Grogery faces Barry.

Grogery: Are you ready to jump across, Barry?   Barry, showing definitely-real confidence that's definitely for sure not faked: I mean, I'm an equal member of the team! So, if everybody else can do it, and you all agree not to replace me with the scary chick, I think we're good!   Grogery: Yeah, she's not good enough for this party anyway, you can do it.   Kesmet: We're trying to find a way to off her while we're down here!

Barry holds his breath and begins a graceful dive, only to plop down onto the invisible floor. He gets back up, and everyone makes it to the other end.

Dwardazik: Now, then. If everyone has collected themselves, let's pretend this never happened and continue on.   Marvin: What about the two dead guys here?   Kesmet: We should at least see what killed them.   Marvin: That's what I'm thinking too.

Kesmet kicks a body into the acid. It falls in.

Dazki: Oh, jeez. I guess it's good that they died. Continue on?   Dwardazik: I say we continue on.   Marvin: Same.   Kesmet: Push the other guy into the acid, too?   Dazki: No! We don't need to desecrate a corpse.   Kesmet: Oh. I thought they were illusion corpses, or puppets, or something!   Dazki: That's fine, but now that we know that they're actual corpses, we don't need to desecrate them. That's all I'm saying.   Dwardazik: All right, now that we've dealt with whatever the hell that was... let's stay frosty.

Plight at the End of the Tunnel

Dwardazik asks Kesmet for his mirror and suggests they look around. Dazki looks around through it. Dazki relays the information to the party.

Dazki: So, we're making progress, we've just gotta keep trudging along.   Dwardazik: Then let us continue.   Dazki: How do you deal with this, Dwardazik?   Dwardazik: Hm? What?   Dazki: With just walking straight, through an unchanging tunnel, for what seems like hours. There's not even a little bit of a change of scenery! It's so frickin' dull.   Dwardazik: Well, it's not that dull, ...   Dwardazik goes on to roughly explain that staying alert and preparing for what lies just beyond your senses is stimulating enough; every time "nothing happens", that's a good thing, but it also means that much more unknown territory ahead that you haven't prepared for.   Dazki: ...OK.   Marvin: Man, I need some of what he's having.   Dazki: That does not make sense to me, but I'll trust you. You're the one who knows about this stuff.

Dwardazik: Hold up! Stop, wait a minute! It's time for a drink.   Marvin: ...really?   Dazki: Bad idea.   Dwardazik: I'm havin' one.

Kesmet also accepts a drink.

Marvin: That's not something you see every day...   Grogery: Hey, Dazki?   Dazki: Yeah?   Grogery: A thought just occurred to me, and since you've read more of that book, maybe you'll know the answer. You said that the guy that we're most likely after here is probably the one who wants to turn this plane into a home for the Mirage?   Dazki: Yeah, for Mirage Prime, that's what I would assume.   Grogery: 1) wasn't there a conversation where it was mentioned that He is already here? and 2) if his idea is to make this plane more habitable for the Mirage, then why are they spending time around Exignis? Why aren't they doing something in, like, the pit of the Phantasmagoria, way out in the wild somewhere? Where there's not going to be a bunch of people actively trying to work against that?   Dazki: I dont know. I honestly don't know what to say about that, I'm not sure. He seemed to be fairly amenable to conversation, so maybe next time we try to sleep, we can ask him?   Grogery: All right. I mean, there were other people besides just "A". Wasn't there one who was just "no contact", and another who has apparently gone mad?   Dazki: Yeah.

Marvin: OH!   Grogery: Yeah... we're definitely in the Phantasmagoria now.   Dazki: Well, yeah, didn't you hear the noise get lower behind us?   Grogery: OK, yeah, but it's a little bit different when you watch a snake try to eat a hermit crab whose shell is made out of diamond and then the snake explodes into blue goo.

Marvin: I assume we shouldn't be touching that.   Grogery: Yeah, I'm not touching that. I do not even want to be close to touching that.

Dazki: I think we need to pick up the pace.

Dwardazik: Hm. That's a bit different than a rock slide. Before we try and make our way through the vine... dirt... stuff, whaddaya say we catch a breather?   Marvin: Is it really safe to do that here?   Dwardazik: Will there ever be a safer spot than with the walls like this?   Grogery, concurring: It's only going to get more dangerous from here on out. Once we leave, we have not a lot of control over our immediate space.   Marvin: What about the lightning that just struck us?!   Dwardazik: That was a while ago.

Grogery: More to the point, if we are getting close to "The Metronome Man", I am not in the best shape with my spells right now. I mean, theoretically, we could make it work...   Marvin: Neither am I. I mean, I guess the walls do seem safe, but... I dunno, as long as we do the regular watch.   Grogery: Of course, we could do this, and then "The Metronome Man" could interrupt us again, but I mean...   Dazki: Kiirni, if we stop to rest, will you stop with us? You look like you're getting a little tired as well.   Kiirni: I need to go that way, and I don't think I'm capable of clearing that debris. I don't think any of us is capable of clearing that debris. (She sits down, despondent.)   Kesmet: Yep. You're totally right. So just sit there, and we'll take care of it come morning. Or whatever it'll be 8 hours from now.   Dwardazik: You got any of that seasoning? We've gotta get something going on here.   Marvin: For once, I'm with you on that.

Dazki: Kiirni, do you mind taking watch with us?   Kiirni: I don't see what the point of any of this is.   Dazki: The "point of any of this" is not dying in our sleep, so that we can all accomplish our goals.   Kiirni: Our goals are no longer accomplishable.   Marvin: Well, not with that attitude!   Kesmet: You sat down and gave up at the other two obstacles. We're two for two. Give us some credit. Sit down, shut up, and let's each watch an end of the pipe to see whether or not some astral wolf bullshit made of Turmoil comes to attack us in our sleep.   Dazki: You were able to get across that pit of acid. You'll be able to get through this too. We've got this. All of us together.   Marvin: Roamer's depending on you, isn't he?   Dazki: Yep.   Kiirni: Don't use my love for him against me. It's very rude.   Dazki: We're not using it against you. We're using it for him. You can save him.   Marvin: And this is coming from the guy who essentially got possessed by Roamer.   Kiirni: Nobody was asking you, bud.   Dwardazik: You know that guy stabbed me in the shoulder, right?   Marvin: We know.   Dwardazik: Just checkin'!   Grogery: People make bad choices when they're scared and stressed.   Kiirni: OK, well, I'm at least going to check that we're stuck here forever, since you all are too afraid to deal with it.   Dazki: Sure, you do that.   Dwardazik: I'm so afraaaaaid! Eyes are closing now.   Grogery: This exit being closed is protecting us from whatever is out there, for at least the night.   Kiirni: There's something buried here.   Marvin: What?!   Kiirni: Yeah, there's something buried here.   Grogery: Yes, Barry is here, and he has been himselfed.   Kiirni: Nah, there's some sort of dumb colonist machine here.   Marvin: Like... is it in the dirt?   Kiirni: I mean, it still looks like it works a little. It's mostly buried. It's still ticking.

Dazki leaps into action, frantically trying to find it. Grogery, bleary-eyed, puts on a glove and holds the Rotor of Return up to his head and answers it.

Voice: OK. OK, first, when are you?   Grogery: Year 602.   Voice: Perfect! 602 is exactly what I was looking for! By golly, his calculations worked! Clever man, very clever! —   Grogery: ...which "man" is —   Voice: No time! Don't, you need to stop talking. Like, immediately, not much time, OK? Things are about to get real weird... IF we do this correctly. ...if we don't do this correctly, adventure's over, giant snake ruins the world, big ol' god awakens in the middle of the country, everybody's doomed, yadda yadda. Let's not do that part. Let's do this other thing! What I need you to do — I'm going to hijack the Corrupted Arcanum from Pendel. So all I need you to do is get him to teleport you back in time again, OK? If you do that, we can put a weakness in the side of this pipe here allowing a secondary exit and our adventure to continue. If we do not do this, this is where it ends! Do you understand me?!   Grogery: OK. Yes. What we need to do is get him to take us back in time again.   Voice: I will disrupt the signal, I will put us in a more favorable position. What you need to do once you get there is disable the spider monstrosity, at the precise location, given the amount of time depending on where I send you. I will maintain in touch. Get him to send you back. There's no way to safely get through this opening.   Grogery: So, is it a good idea for us to be resting right now?

Dwardazik: Well, I'm gonna bet 5 silver that "Pendel" is the name of "The Metronome Man".   Grogery: Yeah, it's the name of the —   Dazki: The man who designed The Wall™.   Kesmet: Hey guys, remember when I had that weird vision quest, and I said to suck nads? This is the dude I was talking to in my vision quest!   Dazki: Marvin, any chance that would be your father's voice?   Marvin: Didn't sound anything like him.   Grogery: The voice we heard before when they were calling us, back in time, was that your dad's voice? Because that was a different voice.   Marvin: Couldn't tell. I think we need to rest. If we're planning something like that, you saw how much the Custodian Engine took out of us. We're gonna need to be ready.   Dazki: Yep. I agree. Besides, he doesn't like to let us sleep.   Marvin: Maybe down here, I mean, teleportation magic is obstructed down here. Maybe his nonsense is also obstructed? Maybe now's the perfect chance.   Grogery: Being able to just astrally walk through The Wall™ sounds like a design flaw.   Marvin: At the same time, I don't know how we're going to get him to send us back in time again, if we're stuck down here.   Grogery: Hm.   Dazki: Here's the thing. Whoever that was, they contacted you through the Rotor of Return. We know he has other parts of the Orrery of the Wanderer. So it stands to reason that magic might work. If that's the magic he was using to send us back in time... I mean, this is all just speculation.   Grogery: We might all fall asleep and just have some sort of dream about it.   Dazki: Yeah. Well, for now, let's just get some rest and figure out what to do once we have had a little bit of time.   Marvin: All right. Sounds like a plan.