Session 128

General Summary

• Theran Daointa'ar, Grogery's "brother", has shown up at the bottom of the tower.
• Dazki is extremely skeptical of him, and Theran's answers to his questions do not seem to help with this.
• His use of a Goodberry spell made Dazki extra suspicious. Theran eventually admitted to being able to use some druidic magic that he learned from the star druids in spite of his family's viewpoint that this sort of thing is beneath someone of his position.
• Theran is having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that Grogery is dead, initially disbelieving it entirely.
• Dazki finally got the chance to tell Barry what they learned, while back in time, about who he was before: Aathu Blurdrake, an assassin.
• This got Barry really excited, but also really frustrated at everyone who he thought was sitting on more juicy information about him.
• Barry tried to get Marvin ("brain guy") to do something to him, which Theran seems to have taken as an invitation for him to probe into Barry's mind.
• After some heated discussion, Kesmet was convinced to Minor Illusion him, giving Barry a reference that he can copy with his magical hat.
• With newfound confidence — still undeserved — Barry stepped outside, which caused a minor mishap as he immediately started plummeting into the sky.
• Kesmet brought him back, and the group decided to just try to will the energies of the Phantasmagoria to place them safely on the ground near The Wall™ instead... but as they tried to meditate on this, they were transported to the Red Desert instead.
• Theran had a lot of questions about the black tendrils, this being his first time, and he started to dig out a shelter using magic when Dazki saw flashes of blue light.
• The blue light belonged to the "Nondescript Halfling" and one of his machines, this time littered with painting supplies around it.
• Marvin tried to address him as his father, Marshall, but they did not seem to be able to recognize one another.
• The halfling warned that the Manifestations of the Mirage have grown much bigger this time, shortly before the remaining three appeared in the distance.

Full Recap

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Theran takes a defensive position back.

Dazki: All right, all right. Everybody, just... deep breath.   Dwardazik rushes to the front, and Marvin readies his Pyroconverger.   Dazki: I'm sorry, who might you be, young man?   Theran: Uh, well, I'm Theran Daointa'ar. Um... who are you all?   Marvin: Yeah, I don't believe that. There's no —   Theran: Wait, I have a signet ring I can get out. Hang on, it's in my pocket...   Dwardazik: Hold up, hold up, this is one of the first people who's actually introduced themselves. With names.   Marvin: That's true, but —   Kesmet: ...it's also an illusion.   Marvin: — also, think of the circumstances.   Kesmet: It's an illusion. It's an illusion, guys.   Dwardazik: The name is Dwardazik Stoneturner Boulderhearth. What's your business at this tower?   Theran: Well, um, I heard tell that my brother Grogery was in trouble, and I'm here to help him.   Marvin: Yeah, so... —   Dazki: Forgive us for asking, but how did you manage to... get here? We're not exactly somewhere that's easy to access.   Marvin: Or easy to leave, either.   Theran: Well, I, uh... teleported. Obviously. Obviously, I teleported here.   Marvin: OK, this is an illusion. This is an illusion, guys.   Dazki: And how did you teleport here?   Theran: With...

  Dazki: Would you care to be a little bit more descriptive on that, please?   Theran: OK. With magic, I had a vision of my brother being in a lot of trouble, and that I could save him if I came here, so I got teleported here.   Dazki: All right. Tell you what. Dwardazik, why don't you make sure that the door is secured? Marvin, I've got a couple of Sendings I might need you to send if you have a little bit of magic left? Or else, would you help Barry get the bedrolls out? Kesmet, could you get us some food, see what you can make with our rations? I think I need to have a conversation with our young baron here.   Marvin: It's "Theran".   Dazki: "Baron", that's his title.   Dwardazik: "Theran the Baron"?   Dazki: "Baron Daointa'ar"... or "Theran". Which would you prefer, young baron?   Theran, a little creeped out: I'd prefer just "Theran". We don't need to be all, like, awkward and formal.   Dazki: Very well, Theran. I am viscount Dazki Sylroris. You can just call me Dazki.   Theran: All right, Dazki. That last name sounds kind-of familiar, so that's probably a good sign.   Dazki: Minor family, not particularly important.   Marvin: Marvin Undersky. Your brother spoke very highly of you.   Theran: Oh, nice! So you guys are familiar with my brother! I mean, it sounded like that, but it was... didn't really want to assume anything...   Dazki: Why don't we walk upstairs and we can have a conversation while the rest of them are making sure everything's safe down here?   Marvin: Wait, you're going back up there?!   Dwardazik: Yeah, I don't think you should go up there alone. Don't be a fool and put your life on the line to try and interrogate this person!   Marvin: I agree, we shouldn't be splitting up.   Kesmet: Nobody's checked that he's not an illusion.   Marvin: You want to try to attack him?   Dwardazik: You could always touch him first...   Barry draws his gun.   Theran: Whoa, whoa, WHOA! ...Whoa.   Dazki: Barry, put that down. I'm apparently not going upstairs.   Dwardazik: Oh, please. Whatever your affairs are in your elven world, you don't need to hide them from me.   Dazki: No, I just felt it would be better to have a little bit of space for a... delicate conversation, based on what has just happened. That's all.   Kesmet: We're all too fragile for delicate conversations right now.   Dazki: Yeah, but I have a feeling that Theran is not.   Kesmet: Holy crap. That's not Grogery's brother! That's clearly an illusion!   Theran: I am not an illusion!   Kesmet: Oh yeah? Well, prove it!   Barry: I mean, he said he's not an illusion. Illusions don't do that.   Theran: All right, fine. You guys asked about food? I can do that.   Theran creates some Goodberries and throws them at people.   Dazki focuses on his surroundings to try to find any illusions around him. The only illusion is the one he knows about: Barry's Hat of Disguise.   Marvin: You said you needed me to cast a couple of Sendings?   Dazki: OK, the first one's the more important one. I'll write them down. Also, Kesmet, the young gentleman is not an illusion.   Kesmet: Could be some other trick. You know, this place is all weird.   Dwardazik: You have to admit, his presence here and the circumstances of his arrival, and the coincidence of his title. So many coincidences. Surely, this is either destiny or a trap.   Kesmet: Why is his title important?   Theran: I mean, it makes sense that I would be here. I'm trying to help my brother.   Kesmet, disbelievingly: Uh-huh. Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh.   Theran: So I would presume that I would end up near people who knew where he was.   Dazki: About that...   Marvin: You might want to sit down.   Theran: On the... stairs?   Marvin: Let's take a walk back up to the top —   Kesmet: Let's NOT go up there.   Dwardazik: Let's go back to the goodberries. Are you telling me you can make these instead of that dull-ass bread?   Theran: Yes.   Dwardazik: I've gotta admit... (He sheathes his shield and mace.) ...if you can make better food... that could be a plus? Heaven knows we can use something — could you make goodberry wine? I'm willing to drink that if you can make it fresh.   Theran: No, Marvin, — wait, were you "Marvin"?   Dwardazik: I am Dwardazik Stoneturner Boulderhearth. I've introduced myself once before, though that was with a mace and shield out. Perhaps it's worth a more proper introduction? (He walks towards Theran and offers out his hand.) We can be civilized. I have a feeling that, for some reason, you must be here either as a trap, or it's destiny. And I don't think you're a trap. So it must be destiny. And your name is? (as a formality, of course)   Theran, shaking his hand: Theran Daointa'ar, as I've said before. Sorry, there's five people, I've only heard the names of four of them, and I don't really have my name-remembering hat on right now...   Dwardazik: There. Introductions are settled. Now that that's settled, I need to prepare.

Dwardazik walks away towards the door and starts securing the perimeter, poking around at the walls and door.   Dazki writes down the first message, intended for Isaiah Loprair:

Grogery was lost in a battle. We have no body. Are you able to bring him back if we provide diamonds?   Isaiah: As time marches on, the powers of evocation turn to necromancy... which is still forbidden. I need to pray on this. Dreadful. Dreadful.

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Dazki: So, Theran. I'm afraid to tell you that you may have been a little bit, um... late.   Theran: What do you mean by that?   Kesmet, yelling out and doing the air quotes as he's still preparing food: Your "brother" is dead.   Marvin: Kesmet, that's not helping.   Dazki: He gave his life to protect us. The magic that did it left us without his body. I'm sorry.   Marvin: I don't think I've ever met anyone braver than your brother, Theran.   Theran: OK, OK. I see what you're doing here, and I want you to know that my parents did this a couple of times to me. I'm wise to it by now.   Dazki: No, I — ...I'm being completely honest with you.   Theran: You're telling me he's dead so that I'll get sad and go back home and not be in danger out here, but listen. I can help! I have magic!   Dazki: That's great, because we're going to need your help to get out of where we are, anyway. Because... ...do you have any idea where you are?   Theran: Uh... (He looks around)   Marvin: Oh, holy crap, he doesn't know?!   Theran: ...not particularly.   Marvin: You're in The Phantasmagoria! You do realize that right? You somehow teleported halfway across the world, into a place that you're not supposed to be able to teleport to! Do you realize what you've done, unwittingly?   Dwardazik: Destiny.   Marvin: And we aren't — just to be clear, my friend — we are not lying to you, trying to make up something to have you go back to a safe place. Grogery gave his life for us, and that's something we will never be able to repay him for. Because he's gone. And I am fucking pissed that he's gone. And I want to make the people who did this pay... but they're not even people!   Dazki reaches into the Bag of Holding, pulls out a signet ring (or something like that) of Grogery's, and hands it to Theran.   Dazki: I'm sorry, but we're really telling you the truth here. I'm sorry.   Dwardazik punches a wall, hard, but says nothing.   Theran: But this doesn't make any sense! ...my parents must have given you one of their spare ones or something! This could've come from... —   Kesmet throws down his food preparation utensils and storms over towards Theran.   Dazki: Kesmet, no. Stop!   Kesmet, ignoring Dazki: You insufferable little fraud! He's gone, and he shouldn't be! You're just here mocking us, because you're not real, and he's gone, and... (He goes back to food preparation)   Marvin: We knew Grogery well, and the world is worse off without him.   Theran: Then what happened to him, then?   Marvin: How much do you know about the powers that be in the Phantasmagoria?   Theran: I know it's supposed to be full of this, like, chaotic Turmoil stuff, and you can't even see the sky out here, so people don't even go out here because it's too dangerous.   Marvin: That's right.   Theran: And we don't have A Wall™ where I'm from. I'm from the Windscar, there's not a Wall™, just a lot of mountains.   Marvin: So Grogery died when the Turmoil took him.   Dwardazik: He died saving us! ...should've been me.   Marvin: Dwardazik, no.   Theran: Why was he even out here? I know he was supposed to be fighting bad people and trying to help make the world a better place, but there's, like, nothing and nobody out here who matters! Just him, and just you guys. So what were you guys even doing out here?   Marvin: Are you sure you want the truth on this? It's a lot!   Theran: Might as well. It would be nice to get people telling me the truth.   Marvin: The short of it is that a man by the name of Pendel sought to use Turmoil to undo The Serpent War and revive the Great Serpent. You know, the one with the giant sword through its mouth?   Theran: Yeah.   Marvin: Yeah, that. Pretty bad, right?   Theran: Yes.   Marvin: That's the kind of level we're dealing with here.   Theran: So you guys fought him and the serpent, and won, but Grogery died, and now you — how did he die?   Dazki: What happened was Pendel had a machine — magic and Turmoil combined — called the Orrery of the Wanderer. We had to destroy that to stop the Serpent from waking. As we did, it was giving off pulses of energy that were going to still wake the Serpent. Grogery somehow knew that in order to stop this, he had to do something with the machine. He went up and touched it to stop the pulses of energy, and in doing so, he was taken from us. Body disintegrated.   Dwardazik: Something just doesn't seem right. Why would he do that? What was he thinking at that time? How did he know? ...you know as well as I do that it must've been the ring.   Dazki: For now, I think we need some time to rest and recuperate. As you can tell, none of us made it through that battle particularly well-off. So I don't know what time it is, but we are going to get some meditation (and get some sleep), and head out in the morning. So, make yourself comfortable, Theran.   Dwardazik: Goodberries! You know what would be really excellent for food? Some goodberries, and some good warm food. And Marvin, we should have an excellent song, don't you think? You've got an instrument with you, right?   Marvin: Alwa—   Dwardazik: Of course you do. I think we should have a nice old time, don't you think? I think so!   Kesmet: You've all lost your minds. Is this what it was like listening to me ramble on about Dennis?   Marvin: Honestly, your ramblings about Dennis gave us a certain stability, Kesmet.   Kesmet: Oh. Well, now, that's gone.   Dazki: How are you feeling?   Kesmet, still busily angrily prepping dinner, grunts noncommittally in his direction.   Dwardazik: Look. With these rations, and your seasoning, and these berries, it's gonna be the best rations we've ever had. A little bit of water, and I'm pretty sure we can stick it into this pot right here, and it's gonna be absolutely delicious. What do you say?   Marvin: ...Theran. Grogery did describe how, in the recent weeks / months, he would regularly communicate with you using Sending, but that every time he attempted it recently, the spell would just fail for no apparent reason.   Theran: He mentioned at one point that he was having trouble Sending to whom he wanted to Send to, and he stopped Sending as regularly so that he could avoid letting Mom know. Mom didn't like me talking with him.   Marvin: It seemed to persist even after we left that area.   Theran: He said he fixed it a few days ago, and he was Sending to me again. And now it's night, so maybe he'll Send to me again?   Dazki: Here's a question. How did you know he was going to be in trouble?   Theran: I had a vision, of sorts. That happens to people sometimes, right?   Dazki: No. Not usually, no.   Marvin: Dazki, look where we are. Is that really out of the question?   Theran: And don't people use magic all the time to try to tell the future or see what's going on far away?   Dazki: How do you know so much magic at such a young age?   Theran: I... studied. A... a lot. My parents hired really good tutors for me.   Marvin: How old are you, exactly?   Theran: I'm about 100, give or take.   Marvin: Oh, right, elves. Right.   Dazki, unconvinced: Uh-huh... 100, you say... really...   Theran: Yeah!   Dazki, unconvinced: That's, uh... hm... all right. Interesting. Wouldn't've guessed that.   Marvin: Honestly, in my eyes, you don't look a day over 25! Ha-ha-ha!   Theran: Ew, gross, I'm not, like, a baby!   Marvin: All right, well, I know we just dropped a lot on you, Theran. Sorry we can't give you any more closure.   Theran: So, this is the Phantasmagoria... and magic doesn't work OK out here... how do we get back?   Dazki: Right now, we're in a region of relative stability thanks to this clock tower. Once we leave here, we're going to be out of it. Before we go, I'm going to teach you how to make sure things stay... stable... around you, for at least your general vicinity. Then we're going to just try to make our way back.   Dwardazik: It's about mental discipline. You have to have the fortitude and the strength to think "I'm getting home", and you'll get home. But only if you really believe in it. Just like how you have to really believe that this food will be delicious.   Theran: Well, you guys seem to know how to navigate out here. I guess, ... let me know if you need my help or guidance?   Marvin: You want to travel with us?   Theran: I can't exactly go back... this is the Phantasmagoria. If I tried to teleport back from out here, I'd probably get lost, and then I'd really be in trouble.   Dazki: Yeah. Well, we'll make sure you get back home. Or back wherever you want to go once we get out of here.   Theran: Honestly, there were a lot of times back home when I'd considered running away. Because of the things my parents were doing to Grogery and about how... I just never felt like my destiny was there. Taking care of a bunch of land. Trying to make nice with a bunch of fancy people. Getting settled down with somebody I didn't even pick.   Dazki: It's not the land you have to take care of; it's the people. But I understand how you feel.   Theran: It's going to be a long time before that even happens to me, and I wasn't even originally the one who was going to be doing it!   Marvin: So, you and Grogery sound like you were really close?   Theran: We are... ...were? ... is there any chance at all that he escaped, somehow? Like, teleported away, or...?   Dazki: N— ... ...I mean, maybe, but he left all of his things behind when he disappeared. Everything magical and non-magical he had on him. There's maybe a chance, but... I've got a feeling that it's extremely unlikely.   Dwardazik: We will honor his sacrifice.   Dazki: We're also working on a way to try and see if we can bring him back.   Theran: OK!   Marvin: We contacted his church. They are wary of the idea, and said "I need to pray on this, dreadful, dreadful". Whatever the fuck that means.   Theran: That sounds like clerics to me. Also, I'm pretty sure his church back in the Windscar wouldn't spend all that money to raise him without a body.   Dazki: He's made some new friends in the church since then that have a significant amount of power. I'm sure he's told you about it?   Theran: He said he found a church out here and that he found some friends, but I think he didn't want me to get jealous or feel sad that I wasn't out here with him. If that makes sense.   Dazki: That does sound like Grogery.   Marvin: He was always very selfless.   Theran: He said he was trying to find a name for the group at some point, so that if I had to find him or you guys, I would have a name to look for... like, you know, a group name! Like my sister's paladin crew.   Marvin: Did he ever suggest a name?   Theran: I think he wanted to hash it out with the people he was traveling with.   Marvin: Sad that we never got to.   Dazki: I think this is enough for now. Once we get food, we should all get some rest. I'm feeling very injured, and I think some "sleep" will do me well.   Marvin: Yeah, I don't think my leg's supposed to bend that way. I know what you mean.   Dwardazik: We should continue to study The Book when we get the chance. Let's not waste any time while we're still here. ... ...you do recall our study sessions?   Dazki: Yeah. Uh, I figure we're probably going to want to get going as soon as we can.   Dwardazik: Of course, but I figured with a tower as secure as this... if we have the time?   Dazki: If we have the time, then sure. But I don't want to tarry here.   Theran claps his hands and has "Imaginary Fil'Amon" set up his tent for him. He then goes inside.   Dwardazik: In regards to the tower, the door seems secure, and the perimeter seems to be sound. I've found no other methods of entrance, and I do not believe that there's going to be any kind of Turmoil interference, from the Phantasmagoria. More importantly, have you noticed? It doesn't seem like we're moving anymore. I don't feel it.   Dazki: I've got a feeling that we're probably pretty safe here, but I'm going to keep watch for a bit, just in case.   Dwardazik: It couldn't hurt. (He whispers quietly enough that only Dazki will be able to hear:) Watch that new fellow.

The second message, for The Queen of Hearts:

We have the head of Dennis Donahue. How much would you be willing to pay to present this to Jack?   Queen: No negotiation until goods are proven. Could pay off a vast amount of what you owe me.

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Marvin begins laughing hysterically.

Dazki: Everything OK, Marvin?   Marvin: Oh, yeah, yeah. Ooh boy, Queenie, she's got an interesting sense of humor.   Dazki: Oh?   Marvin: The first part, she's like "you gotta have proof", which is, like, OK, whatever. "It could probably pay off the vast majority of what we owe her".   Dazki: Ugh. All right.   Marvin: Wasn't the deal that all of the debts we know of and that we don't know of would be stricken?   Dazki, getting a bit salty: Apparently, there was a slight misspeaking.   Marvin: Oh, let me guess, her debts are separate from the overall House of Cards.   Dazki: No, apparently it was just all of the debts we were unaware of.   Marvin: ONLY the ones we were unaware of?   Dazki: According to Jack, the word "including" was not in that sentence...   Marvin:

  Dwardazik: What do we have to worry about? We're about a million miles away now, aren't we?   Kesmet: And we do now have some... "experience"... with eliminating mob heads.   Marvin: Hey, now.   Dazki: We'll figure that out once we get back. Who knows, maybe she'll be more amenable to negotiation in person.   Marvin: Honestly, like, she doesn't fuckin' know me. What did I do? I'm just with you guys.   Dazki: You're probably safe, other than association with us. And to be fair, we're not exactly on her bad side, so... you know. You probably have no debt.   Marvin: Wait.. would my dad have... oh, I don't want to know... I hope debt isn't transferable like that. I'm goin' to bed.

First + Second Watch: Dazki and Barry

Barry wants to talk with Dazki.

Dazki: Yeah, what's up, Barry?   Barry: ...I have concerns.   Dazki: OK?   Barry: You said you had important news, and then a new fellow showed up. Am I... fired?   Dazki: Oh. No, uh —   Barry: Because it's fine if I am fired, but can we not leave me in the middle of the hellscape that is this land that we now walk upon?   Dazki: No, you are not fired. In fact, the news is that we found out some information about you. About who you were before you were Barry the fish-person.   Barry: Was I that guy?   Dazki: No, your name was "Aathu Blurdrake". You tried to kill me at one point.   Barry: You know, that would make a good alias. It's got all the same letters as what's in my name.   Dazki: Ha! ...huh. OK. We also found out some other things about people that were blackmailing you and the person that you were trying to protect. I have contacts, once we get back to Ashport, that we can send messages to and try to figure out what's happened and how to get you back to who you were. We're a couple of big steps closer.   Barry: Can't we just talk to that "Steve" fellow?   Dazki: He said it had to be someone who knew you before the transformation.   Barry: But if I stabbed you to death, you must've known me!   Dazki: You were a hired assassin, just trying to stab me and then go away. I was just a target to you.   Barry: I dunno, man, that seems real intimate.   Dazki: I did not know you as well as would be needed for this. You were wearing a disguise, I didn't know it was you until we went into the past thanks to everything that just happened. The person we need to find is Jubil Silvertongue. She will be able to help.   Barry: ...or...   Dazki: ..."or"?   Barry: We're, like, pals, right?   Dazki: Yeah...?   Barry: And I murdered you?   Dazki: You came very close in the past, yes.   Barry: That's gotta be good enough!   Dazki: ...I... I don't think so, because we didn't become friends until I knew you as the current Barry.   Barry: Did I try to kill anybody else that actually considers me a friend? Unlike you, apparently?   Dazki: I have no idea. I don't believe so. We need to find Jubil Silvertongue. Hopefully, she can help. And I have some people who can help get information about this. So, we're closer to returning you to who you used to be, should you desire that. You're not being replaced. The good news is, in coming out here, we got a step closer to what we're trying to do.   Barry: No, but I want to be replaced.   Dazki: ...you do?   Barry: By real me!   Dazki: Oh. Well, yeah. Yeah, we're closer to replacing you with "real you". I didn't mean with Theran.   Barry: OK, well, what was I like, then?   Dazki: I only knew you for about 30 seconds while you were trying to stab me. That's not long enough to get a good impression. So, unfortunately, I don't know.   Barry: You gotta know something! 30 seconds is more than I have!   Dazki: You seemed to want to protect this woman, this Jubil, quite a bit. Seemed to really care about her.   Barry: Yeah, but I don't think you keep a hostage that long. I said so on the boat, you don't do it! It's just not done!   Dazki: Probably not, but that's the lead we have. We also have the name of the person who was blackmailing you. Maybe we can get something from them.   Barry: I still think you know who I am. Even if I only stabbed you for 30 seconds, we've spent this whole time together. Something must have leaked through!   Dazki: I'll think about it and see if I can figure anything out, Barry. But right now, I'm coming up blank, I'm sorry.   Barry: OK, fine.   Dazki: But hey, now that you have a name, maybe you can write that down in your journal and see if that sparks any memories for you?   Barry: Yeah. I mean, I do like that it has all the same letters.   Dazki: It's a pretty clever alias. OK, you can go ahead and get some meditation, I'm going to wake up Dwardazik.   Barry: I think I'll stay up.   Dazki: Don't let yourself get too tired, we need everybody to be in top shape for traveling back home.   Barry: I'll be fine.   Dazki: OK.

Third Watch: Dwardazik

Dwardazik: Oof... I feel like I was buried underneath a mountain...   Dazki: Nothing so far. Didn't expect anything, being up here in this area of relative stability, but, you know.   Dwardazik: Are you sure your internal clock is right? I swear that was only one hour.   Dazki: Heh. It's so hard to tell. I saw the sun rise and set, like, twenty times. So, who knows? What I will say is, keep an eye on Theran. Grogery's brother definitely wasn't a hundred years old. That does not look like someone who's a hundred years old. And on top of that, he was the son of a bunch of religious leaders, right?   Dwardazik: Right.   Dazki: So what's he doing casting druid spells like Goodberry?   Dwardazik: You want the real answer? The real answer is that we'll probably never know. But my suspicion is... I don't know when, where, or what's happened. If the past is even real anymore, or what's changed. For all we know, the actions that occurred while we were traveling around the past like it was a parade, or when we were dealing with Pendel and his machinations, might have caused all this to happen! Our influence could be why this lad is here right now, and we wouldn't even know it! So, frankly, I have no idea.   Dazki: I'm just sayin', keep a close eye on him. Some things don't completely add up.   Dwardazik: I have a feeling that a lot of things in the coming days aren't going to add up.   Dazki: Maybe.   Dwardazik: And I'm not looking forward to it.   Dazki: Eh. Look at it this way: it's a new adventure, right?   Dwardazik: Well, no! I don't care about that. I have these scales that I brought back from my home. If things don't add up, what's even the point of having them? I might as well pawn them off, right?   Dazki: Right now, all we can do is trust our memory and figure out what comes next.   Dwardazik: Dazki. That was a joke.   Dazki: Oh. Forgive me, I guess I don't get dwarven humor that well.   Dwardazik: I can tell. Go to bed.

Dwardazik sits, back against the door, and focuses internally instead of really doing a watch. Theran is awake now, just scribbling notes in his journal inside his tent. Barry stays up, but doesn't interact with anyone.

Fourth Watch: Marvin

Upon being woken up, Marvin instinctively grabs his Pyroconverger and points it around a bit before calming down.

Dwardazik: If you singe off my beard, I'm gonna have you buy my ten whole barrels of the finest dwarven ale, ever.   Marvin: Oh, is that all? Sorry, man, just... jumpy. It's all I've got left, this thing. After... yeah.   Dwardazik: Ugh. Nothing's going on. We're fairly secure. Just keep your eyes out. And be careful. It's quiet. You start to think things in the quiet.   Marvin: I'll hum lightly to myself. Don't worry, not loudly enough to bother you.   Dwardazik: Eh, won't bother me. Have a good watch.

Marvin: Barry... you should've gotten some "sleep"?   Barry: There's no time for that.   Marvin: And what is there time for?   Barry: We are so close.   Marvin: All good things come with time, Barry.   Barry: No-no-no. No. No. I'm done with time.   Marvin: You're "done with time"?   Barry: Everything isn't real, when you're not you.   Marvin: You know, while I can't know what you're going through right now, I can at least understand.   Barry: But you doooooooooooon't!   Marvin: Should we start calling you "Aathu" now, or no?   Barry: So you know who I am too, and you also won't tell me?   Marvin: I won't tell you what? I don't know it. All I know is you tried to assassinate Dazki when he was younger. That's all I know. I don't know who you were before.   Barry: But you kind-of know who I am now. And you're, like, a brain guy. And isn't the brain inside of who you are?   Marvin: Barry, we're all just brains piloting skeleton mechs covered in flesh armor, OK? I'm no more a "brain guy" than you are.   Barry comes right up to Marvin, his head almost making contact with Marvin's head.   Barry: Get in there!   Marvin: What are you asking me?   Barry: You can, I dunno, read minds or something, right? You're a brain guy!   Marvin: I can't — I... ugh...   Barry: You've seen "me". You know "my" face — I don't know "my" face! Get in there! Wiggle it around a bit!   Marvin: "WIGGLE IT AROUND A BIT", he says! Um, Barry, the best I can do is make you remember something that didn't happen.   Barry: ...or... I remember when I tried to murder people!   Marvin: ...why... why... Barry, honestly, if I were you — which I'm not!, but — at least seeing what had transpired with the whole Orrery time travel stuff going on, seeing what transpired, I would like to move on from that. I don't think you know what you want from me, in that regard. Well, ...you can't know, because if you know, then it's already too late, and it's cursed knowledge... would you rather be cursed with the knowledge than go on without that cursed knowledge?   Barry: Well, you're a music man, right?   Marvin: Are we changing the subject? But, yes.   Barry: So, you've got to know about gaining and losing things all the time! Like, ladies love music.   Marvin: ...lots of people love music. How is this relevant?   Barry: Well, it's like a... better to be in love with a person and then lose them, than to not having known that person?   Marvin: Watch yourself, Barry...   Barry: Well, apparently, I love a person that I don't even know!   Marvin: Who? Your former self?   Barry: No.   Marvin: I can't help you with that, I don't know who that person is.   Barry: But you caaaaaaaaan... you just wooooon't!   Marvin: No, I seriously don't think I have the ability you're asking for.   Barry: I need to know who I am. You know who I am.   Marvin: I know you used to be called Aathu Blurdrake. That's it.   Barry: "I" killed your friend.   Marvin: Excuse you?!   Barry: You know, that guy? You would remember that?   Marvin: What guy?   Barry: I don't know what "I" look like. I don't know what she looks like. But I still know we're meant to be together, and you gotta help me, man!   Marvin: I'll help, as best I can, I just don't... I can't... undo what's been done to you.   Barry: But you don't know that! How come nobody wants to try anything?! Just try some stuff!   Marvin: You haven't told me what to do!   Barry pushes his head right into Marvin's.   Marvin: First off, you're getting into my personal space a little, here...   Barry: What do "I" look like? How did "I" murder your friend? You know "me" more than I know "me"! That's fucked up, man!   Marvin: And "you" didn't kill Dazki. "You" tried to, but "you" didn't. Do you want to go back to being an assassin?   Barry: I don't know! But I think I should get the option.   Marvin: That's... actually a very mature answer to that question. What I can do is help you find out who you were. I don't know much about Aathu Blurdrake, other than that he was an assassin who tried to kill Dazki. But we can find out together. Does that sound good?   Barry: So, nothing. Nothing again!   Marvin: Nothing right now.   Barry: What do I look like?   Marvin: You look like a human, who I know used to be —   Barry: Not currently!   Marvin: You mean, you look like a fish? I mean, I've actually never seen you as a fish-person. You're always disguised.   Barry: Oh my gosh. Just go to bed.   Marvin: You're the one who needs some "sleep", man. I think it's starting to get to you.   Barry: I'm fine.   Marvin shifts his attention to Theran's tent and pokes it a little.   Marvin: Hey. We're going to start some breakfast, probably, before we get on the move. Want anything?   Theran, startled and flustered: Uh-d-d-... sorry. I was focusing on a thing.   Marvin: Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you.   Theran: Sorry. Um, cool. I will get up now, and... all right! By the way, do you happen to know the exact time and place of your birth?   Marvin: Um... are we talking about right down the second, or...?   Theran: I have some star charts and things, so I can do horoscopes. Those are fun!   Marvin: Um... birthday was [his birthday], and my parents said I was born in...   Theran: I figure, everything's really tense now, so maybe we can have something fun happen? I'll look up your birthplace and your birth time in my charts, and see if there's anything interesting that the strings of fate have in store for you.   Marvin: OK, I was born in the southwest of Exignis. A couple days' travel outside of Axecut.   Theran: OK, well, usually the information is more precise the more precise that you are, but I guess we don't all have, like, addresses sometimes. So, let me see what I can figure out.

Marvin starts waking everyone up in the meantime while Theran gets to work. Theran pulls out a bluish crystal, casts Light it, and holds it up to a sheet of parchment. Several pinholes of light are projected onto the parchment, and dotted lines connect some of them into constellations.

Dazki: So, what's with the star chart, Theran?   Theran: Something I was really interested in back home. I'm doing Marvin's horoscope.   Dazki: Really?   Theran: Yeah.   Dazki: And your parents were OK with that?   Theran: Uh... ... it's ... ...so, my family and a lot of the people that my family worked with had this feeling that the stars and the celestial bodies and the gods were basically the same. Like, the gods are celestial beings, that's where angels come from, that sort of thing. So, the stars being high-and-mighty were conferring their power down here through the royalty. But there are some people who see things in a different light, thinking it's more interconnected and that perhaps the stars depend on us to observe them, as much as we depend on them for energy and magic and stuff.   Dazki: Hm. Interesting.   Theran: It looks like Marvin's horoscope for today is actually pretty favorable. Stuff about "coming out of a deep sadness", but that "sometimes the little things are better when they are coming from a place of darkness".   Dazki: So... but, w—... where did you learn this?   Theran: You know... books and stuff.   Dazki: Really. It looks almost druidic to me.   Theran: It kind-of is... if my parents ask about it, I'm doing totally normal cleric magic, OK?   Dazki: Just like that spell you cast, with the berries?   Theran: Yeah. Like that. I mean, they have to consult the star druids a lot for religious festivals and tending to the crops. But it's always with the attitude of, "oh, Theran, this sort of thing is beneath you, you need to be focusing on your studies and learning how to be the heir", and things like that.   Dazki: Uh-huh. OK. Just curious is all.   Dwardazik: You guys talk a lot.   Dazki: Yeah, sorry, it's a bad habit of us elves.   Theran, motioning to Barry: So, uh, what's the deal with the guy over there? He seems a little disconnected.   Marvin: Barry is going through quite a bit lately. We all are. Let's say he's having a crisis of identity.   Theran: Is that, like, the stuff you were talking about last night? With, like, the brain, and the thing?   Marvin: Oh, you heard that, did you?   Theran: I was... aware. You guys weren't exactly being quiet.   Marvin: Oh. Well... I guess nothing gets past your guys's ears! I dunno how you guys can stand being able to hear everything around you! ...no, he's asking me to help him, but I don't know how to help him.   Theran: Like, help him remember stuff?   Marvin: Help him remember who he was. I don't know if he's going to like the person that he was before. I don't know.   Theran: I mean, if he doesn't like who he was before, can't he just, like, decide to not be that person anymore?   Marvin: That's very true. He should get that choice. And what was that person's name, Dazki, who might be able to help?   Dazki: Jubil Silvertongue.   Theran: Is that a dragonborn name?   Dazki: Don't know. Never met her.   Marvin: Oh, no, him and dragonborns... that's a whole 'nother thing.   Theran: Really?   Marvin: Yeah. He's certainly got a problem.   Theran: ...with dragonborns?   Marvin: Yeah, he thinks they're all pirates.   Theran: Are they all pirates?   Dazki: No.   Marvin: Have you ever met a dragonborn?   Theran: Not... really...   Dwardazik: They're not all pirates. I can say that for sure.   Dazki: It's just a bad stereotype. But he had some particularly nasty run-ins with a dragonborn pirate, so, you know.   Theran: Interesting. So, wait, can you read minds, Marvin?   Marvin: No, I cannot read minds. I can definitely fuck with people's minds, but I cannot read minds.   Theran, telepathically communicating with Marvin: Can you do this?   Marvin, smacking himself in the head: GAH! NO! I don't like that!   Theran: Oh, sorry! SORRY! Sorry...   Marvin: Is that what it feels like when I fuck with people's heads?   Theran: Uh... I... wouldn't know...   Kesmet: Eh, probably worse.   Dazki: Kesmet, ready to get going?   Kesmet, gesturing to Theran: What's it still doing here?   Theran: "It"? Is that how you referred to him too?   Dazki: No, we referred to Grogery as "him". He was a good friend of ours. We've been through a lot. You're going to have to forgive all of us for a bit of rudeness.   Dwardazik: You'll mind your tongue in our company, and YOU, Kesmet... there's no need for that! He's clearly real. He's spoken too many truths. And get ready to go. We're going to be going someplace quite dangerous.   Marvin: And look at it this way, Kesmet. If this was an illusion, it would have to be some pretty powerful illusion magic. In which case, we've caught the attention of an extremely powerful wizard. In which case, we'll soon have bigger problems, and we can't do anything about it.   Kesmet: Well, if it's not an illusion, then it's some sort of shapeshifter imposter thing. It's something.   Dazki: First, I'm going to teach Theran how to keep himself safe from the Turmoil out there. You should all probably meditate and do what you can for yourselves.   Theran: By the way, Marvin, it turns out that success will follow you today!   Marvin: I'll believe it when I see it. Follow me close enough and you'll see how bad my luck can really be. It's like I've got this dark cloud hovering over me constantly.

Daily safe zone results:

• Dazki stabilizes a 10-foot area around him.
• Dwardazik, Kesmet, and Marvin will stabilize their own areas.
• Theran will not stabilize anything today.
• Barry never winds up doing the thing because he's too busy with what's about to start happening.

Barry, bothering Kesmet: Listen, man, I... I don't know what crazy stuff happened. Like, you were just all beat up all of a sudden, crazy-eyes, but you gotta help me out, all right? These other fucks don't understand!   Marvin: Barry, I offered to help —   Barry: (snapping at Marvin) PRIVATE CONVERSATION! (back to Kesmet) Who am I?   Kesmet, automatically, as if reading from a script: You're Barry. An equal and valued member of the party.   Barry: Who was I? Everybody else suddenly has all this information about "me", but nobody knows what "I" looked like!   Kesmet: Barry, Barry, Barry. Barry. It doesn't matter, all right? You're kind of ugly now, but you've got the hat, so you can make yourself look like whatever you want. You don't have to worry about what you used to look like.   Barry: I want to look like me!   Kesmet: Well, in that case, just use the hat and look like you.   Barry stares at Kesmet blankly.   Kesmet stares at Barry fatiguedly.   Dazki: Barry, if you want to know, we'll talk about what I can remember from the brief moment that I think I saw "you" without a disguise. All right, is everybody ready to go?   Barry tries to grapple Kesmet and fails, and Kesmet punches him back in the face.   Kesmet: Barry, what the hell?!   Dazki: Barry, what are you doing?!   Barry: We're not leaving this place until we figure this out!   Kesmet: Why'd you try and tackle me?!   Dazki: Figure what out?   Barry: I need to know who I am!   Dwardazik: Oh, I like this Barry! Git 'em!   Dazki: What do you need to know? We don't know a whole lot.   Dwardazik: I thought you were just spewin' the bunch of nonsense that you normally talk about, but you're actually serious about this, aren't you, Barry? Well, I'll be!   Barry: I DON'T KNOW! It's weird, all right? I'm confused, and I don't know what's going on, and I'm going to hurt somebody if I don't figure it out!   Kesmet: Well, don't hurt me! ...ass!   Marvin: Barry. We're all friends here.   Dazki: What do you need to figure out, Barry? What can we help you with?   Barry: What happened to you guys, all right? You can't just suddenly be worse, and then say a bunch of stuff about me that's true.   Dazki: Oh, so we were gone for just, like, a split second to him. So, we were sent back in time to experience traumatic experiences in each of our lives.   Barry: And Barry doesn't get to go?! Is THIS Barry's "traumatic experience"?   Kesmet: Your "traumatic experience" is being punched in the face. By me.   Dazki: I don't know. It's just because whatever is going on with Turmoil, we've been chosen to fight that.   Barry: But not Barry. Nope. Nobody gives two dicks about Barry!   Marvin: Barry, you clearly have your own battles to fight. You're also dealing with Turmoil yourself.   Dazki: I... I don't know what to tell you about that. Yes, I guess not Barry. You were chosen to not have to suffer through all of the worst memories of your past.   Kesmet: Isn't that a bad thing, because he wants his past?   Dwardazik: You want to know what I think, Barry? I'm not sure you're ready to hear this —   Barry: What, that YOU'RE all secretly fish-people, and I'M the only human?!   Dwardazik: The truth is, Barry, that frankly, you've been more-or-less a liability for the vast majority of our adventure.   Barry: I KNOW, RIGHT?   Dwardazik: And realistically, we only brought you along because we felt guilty about what happened to you, and we wanted to help cure you. Now, the issue here is that if you can accept that, and you're trying to make yourself better, I'd appreciate that. You know, joining along with us and actually getting better as a person. But maybe we should actually settle this once and for all. What are you going to try to do? Are you going to try to remember yourself and who you were? Are you going to settle with the new reality and the new personality? Or what?   Barry: I'm so confused right now, all right? I don't know who I am... of the two people that I am.   Dwardazik: So why don't you just pick one? Or accept both? I accept both.   Theran: Or neither!   Barry: What do you mean, "neither"?   Theran: Right now, you seem to be this fish... person? With a lot of weird things —   Barry: IT WAS YOU! (Barry marches angrily towards Theran.)   Theran: Ahh! Uh... what are you talking about?   Barry: YOU were the one mixin' around in there!   Theran: Uh... it sounded like you wanted that? You wanted someone to figure — ...OK, I didn't think you'd actually be able to feel me doing that, so I'm sorry if I overstepped.   Dazki: Theran, what did you do?   Theran: OK, uh...   Barry: HE MADE ME THINK THINGS!   Theran: I might have tried to read his mind.   Kesmet: See? That's not Theran! That's a weird... illusion...   Barry: YOU CAN'T THINK THE THOUGHTS THAT I CAN'T THINK! THAT'S NOT FAIR!   Theran: OK, OK, you were having a lot of blurry thoughts about feeling like a burden and wanting to figure out who you are, and feeling like they're holding things back from you, and really deep down in there, a silver dragonborn lady — I think she might be the "Silvertongue" that everybody keeps asking about?   Dwardazik, walking up to Theran: Hey, Theran? (He tugs on Theran's sleeve.) Could you kneel down for me?   Theran: Are you going to try to punch me? What?   Dwardazik: No, I'm not going to punch you.   Theran: Uh... this is weird, but OK. (He kneels down.)   Dwardazik slaps him.   Dwardazik: We do NOT read the minds of our fellow party members, and you — as a guest — have NO right to do what you just did. You're lucky I'm not beating you half-senseless for this invasion of privacy!   Barry tries to slap Dwardazik. He fails horribly.   Theran: He was asking for Marvin to try to read his mind, and Marvin couldn't do it!   Dwardazik: Are YOU Marvin?   Theran: ...no...   Dwardazik: Then you get what you deserve. I consider this matter dealt with. Now, then. So, what are you remembering, Barry?   Barry: You know how, when you have a soup, all the chunky stuff goes to the bottom of the soup?   Marvin: OK... sure...   Barry: This little scratchcard here stirred my soup, and now I don't know what's going on!   Dwardazik: ...wow. Hm...   Barry: Maybe I'm the chunky bits, and not the broth!   Marvin: Man, and I thought I fucked with people's heads.   Dazki: Listen, I don't know... I didn't see this, but I think for a brief moment, Kesmet tried to dispel your disguise. I don't know if it succeeded, but we might be able to at least give you a little bit of information on what you looked like.   Barry: See? That's all that the "Steve" fellow said we needed!   Dazki: Kesmet, did you see, whenever you dispelled whatever disguise was on the assassin?   Kesmet: What assassin?   Dazki: The guy that tried to kill "me".   Kesmet: What assassin? You gotta work with me here, I don't remember much of what happened over the last... day?   Dazki: The person who tried to kill "me" at the fancy party. The golden glowy "me" in the past.   Barry: Yeah, and then he had to stop doing that, because the boss canceled the meeting!   Marvin: ...oh, shit...   Kesmet: Barry, you be quiet. You tried to tackle me. Um, yeah, the soul patch dude. The dude in the bushes. That guy. Man, he fucking sucked. We were trying to save him, do him a favor, and then he's like "OLD LADY DISGUISE!" and still tries to kill you.   Marvin: ...shit, I just realized...   Dazki: What did he look like, though?   Barry: What! What did you realize?   Kesmet casts a Minor Illusion of Blurdrake lying down in the bushes, because that's how he remembers him... but Barry isn't paying attention.   Marvin: I was going to say that when "you" were an assassin, I did cast Modify Memory on "you" so that "you" would leave. And "you" did leave, but —   Theran: WAIT, why do YOU get to stir his soup?   Kesmet: You be quiet, not-the-Grogery!   Theran: Ouch...   Marvin: Because "he" was trying to kill Dazki at the time, and his soup didn't taste very good!   Barry: Wait... you CAN mess with my mind! I knew it!   Marvin: I can make you remember things that didn't happen. Dude, LOOK BEHIND YOU. Kesmet is trying to show you what you looked like. LOOK BEHIND YOU.   Kesmet: I'm what, now?   Dazki: That is what you looked like, Barry.   Barry does turn around.   Kesmet looks at the illusion. Then back to Barry. Then back to the illusion. Then back to Barry.   Kesmet: You had a soul patch?   Dazki: That is what you looked like when we saw you in the past.   Barry: Oh, I do have a soul patch. The ladies really like it.   Dazki: ...I guess?   Marvin: Whatever makes you sleep better at night, Barry.   Dwardazik: Hey. Barry. Does this make you remember anything? Are your meaty soup chunks rising to the surface?   Barry: I don't know.   Dwardazik: Look into the eyes of the illusion. Look at the clothing. Explain to me what you are thinking right now.   Barry is silent for a bit, with his normal confused look on his face.   Dwardazik: We can't take you through the Phantasmagoria like this, you'll be a liability. Let's sort this out right now. Verbalize it for us.   Barry: ... ... ...I don't think I'm a cleric.   Dwardazik: Fine, you're not a cleric. Why do you think that?   Barry, quietly but confidently: Because I'm an assassin!   Dwardazik: You're an assassin. Why do you think you're an assassin?   Barry, still quietly and confidently: Because I very distinctly remember not wanting to be an assassin!   Dazki: OK, you see? There. That's good. That's progress.   Marvin, whispering to Theran: You know, we're not usually like this.   Theran: You mean you don't usually slap people? That hurt!   Barry: I want to be this guy. He doesn't seem like a burden.   Dazki: Well, maybe if you use your hat to look like him and focus really hard on that, then maybe you'll be able to remember and be more like him.   Kesmet: You know what's going to happen, is that he'll use that hat, look more like his old self, and then someone's going to recognize him when we're traveling through town, attack us for no good reason, and we're gonna have to wind up "self-defending" another person off the census.   Barry: Fine... I mean, this is all so confusing. I remember so many bits and pieces.   Marvin: Truly? You mean, things are starting to click for you?   Barry: Like a chowder, my man.   Theran: So wait, you're saying for him to put on a hat and think real hard about being the guy, and then he'll become the guy because this is the Phantasmagoria and anything can happen? Or is it a more metaphorical sense?   Dazki: No, he has a literal magic hat that can make him look however he wants.   Theran: OK. Oh, he has one of those.   Dazki: But that is everything we know.   Marvin: Like, actually. Past this point: nothing. Genuinely. So no more running up to us and being all (gruff voice) "TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW", OK? Enough of that?   Dwardazik tugs Barry's arm and brings him down to the dwarf's level. "It's ungraceful."   Dwardazik: Listen, Barry. If there's one thing I've learned since traveling with this group and since I've met you, it's that your old self: that might not be who you want to be anymore. The actions you've done since then, you can be someone else entirely. Be who you want to be. Because I know I like this Barry — or whatever you decide to name yourself. And yeah, I've had some issues with your contributions to the party, but in terms of you as a person? Yeah, you're still an equally valid member of the party. So if you don't want to be (points his thumb at Blurdrake's image) this assassin guy over here — if you want to throw it all into the river and let it wash downstream — then I don't see the problem with that. (He shrugs.) Frankly, who cares? Be who you want to be, Barry.   Dwardazik (cont'd): But just make a choice. Isn't that right, folks?   Theran, excitedly: Yeah!   Dazki: Sounds good to me.   Kesmet: Sure, whatever.   Marvin: Agreed.   Dazki: Are we OK now, Barry? Can we try to make our way through the Phantasmagoria now?   Barry: You got it, Boss.   Dazki: All right. Thank you, and we're gonna keep working at it. All of us, together, all right?   Barry: OK, but... I'm gonna be the, uh, the Blurdrake fellow for a bit, OK? Grrrrrrrrrrr...   Kesmet: But do it without the soul patch. It looks stupid.   Barry, quietly and confidently again: Assassin!   Theran: You can be a Blurdrake who decided not to be an assassin anymore. You have that freedom.   Barry: I don't want to be an assassin anyway!   Dwardazik: Kesmet, are you suggesting that having no facial hair is —   Barry: Yeah, most elves can't even pull off a look like this!   Kesmet: Dwardazik. Are you suggesting that a soul patch is equally magnificent to a full beard?   Dwardazik: No, I'm suggesting... what are you going to do, just throw a beard on him? There's only two options: soul patch or clean shaven. And you're suggesting he go clean shaven. What do you have against beards, eh?   Kesmet: It's all or nothing. You can't just do a soul patch. It looks weird and dumb.   Dwardazik: Facial hair is not dumb!   Barry: ADVENTURE!

Adventure!

Barry, in his new elven form, walks out the door and immediately starts plummeting into the sky above. Theran casts Ultra Gravity Warp on Barry, which slows his ascent. Kesmet casts Fly on himself and starts flying after Barry, yelling at the rest of the party to stay put. Dwardazik jumps off. Kesmet quickly catches up, slows Barry down slightly, and uses Dimension Door to bring them both back to safety, leaving Dwardazik to awkwardly blow his whistle and fly back up.

Kesmet: Goddamnit, Barry, wait for us to adventure first! And then you're in the middle.   Barry: We're in the sky. I figured it out for you: we're in the sky, now.   Dazki: Yep. We are.   Kesmet: Thank you for figuring it out. Next time, you know, wait for all of us to figure it out at the same time.   Dazki: All right, so how are we getting down?   Dwardazik: No amount of rope is going to get us down from here. Realistically, we just need to start changing the world around us to make it so we're there.   Barry: Could I fly before I murdered you?   Dazki: No. As far as we know.   Kesmet: Technically, we don't know that.   Theran: I could cast Ultra Gravity Warp again and try to float us all down?   Marvin: No, we don't know how high up we are.   Theran: I could just cast it again if it's too far?   Dwardazik: You were teleported here. You don't know what it's like to travel through the Phantasmagoria. You see, in a place that makes sense: yes, eventually we would reach the bottom. However, here, it may simply just never end. And then if we think "it should be the bottom now", it'll just happen, and the bottom will be there. It just doesn't work like that.   Theran: OK. So, I am pretty sure I can't teleport back (I think it might have been a one-time thing that I did).   Dazki: Well, Dwardazik's right. We need to focus on the ground and will the ground to be where we are. Where the snail is.   Dwardazik: If we all join hands and think really hard, perhaps we could will the ground into reality? No, we can do it. I know we can.   Dazki: Better yet, we will not only be on the ground, but we will be at The Wall™.   Dwardazik: I like the way you think. Because, let's face it, aren't we the masters of the Phantasmagoria?   Dazki: Hell no.   Dwardazik, yelling out to no one in particular: He means "hell yes"!   Dazki: All right. Everyone good to try to focus on this?   Theran: Sure.   Marvin: I'll do my best.   Dazki: We've got this, everyone.   They join hands, Dwardazik making sure not to be the one to touch Theran's hand (Dazki and Blurdrake do).   Dwardazik: Dazki. Do you remember what we did back in the mansion?   Dazki: ...you're going to have to be more specific.   Dwardazik: The thing in the upstairs, when we all sat around in the circle?   Dazki: Oh yeah, when I was guiding the meditation. Yep.   Dwardazik: You know what needs to be done.

Dazki begins guiding the others into a meditation, just like before, trying to get the party to focus on dropping themselves down next to The Wall™, when suddenly —

Big Red

Theran: This is... ... ...I have a feeling that this is definitely not the Phantasmagoria.   Kesmet: Wow, holy shit, you're real!

Dazki: Ahh. I was wondering how long it would be until this showed up again.   Dwardazik: I'm growing concerned. Every single time we end up here, it feels like Mirage Prime is stronger. And it only makes sense: every time one of his agents falls, it gets consumed.   Theran: "Mirage... Prime"?   Dazki: Big evil demigod trying to take over the world using Turmoil.   Theran: What does he want with this place?   Marvin: This is his place. Is it not?   Theran: All of these black lines feel foreign, like they don't belong here.   Dazki: We think Mirage Prime was originally from our plane and came here.   Theran: OK... wait, also, you guys have been here before?   Dazki: Yeah, a few times. I think Marvin, one or two less than the rest of us.   Marvin: And I like it even less than the last.

Dwardazik reaches his hand and grabs one of the tendrils. Marvin slaps it (Strength 21) out of his hand.

Dwardazik: Marvin, how else are we going to learn anything if we don't experiment on what's happening here?   Marvin: We can't "experiment" if you wind up becoming a big blob in the sky!   Dwardazik: I'm not becoming something like U.G. or E.D. or whatever that stupid creature was.   Marvin: You don't know that!   Theran: Was this place as diseased-feeling the last time you were here?   Dazki: Yes.   Marvin: I can't remember just how many feelings this place made me feel.   They look for shelter, not immediately finding anything.   Dazki: All right, since we don't see anything, we'll have to start digging.   Theran: Hang on, hang on. I think I've got this.

Theran successfully casts something he calls "Super-Rockmorph", progressively excavating more and more sand out of the way.

Dazki: So, what is that you're doing?   Theran: You know, it's just typical druid stuff. Moving the earth around by feeling the earth energy.   Dazki: Yeah, yeah, I've known a few druids, I'm just still surprised.   Theran: This is really easy druid stuff, though. This isn't like the really weird stuff like making new bodies for dead people, or anything like that.   Dazki: No, I get it, I'm just still surprised that you do druid stuff.   Theran: If it's bad, I can try to stop?   Dazki: No. Nothing like that. Just, you know, with your family and everything like that. I'd think they'd really look down on druid stuff.   Theran: They do really look down on druid stuff. I mean, I... ...   Dazki: They have quite a reputation, is all I'm saying.   Theran: They don't know I can do any of this.   Dwardazik: "Druid stuff"?   Marvin: How is it that that has been kept secret from them? That seems like an extremely difficult secret to keep.   Theran: I mean, not really. They're usually not home most of the time. Dad's always out doing trade things, Mom's always out arranging visits with other nobility and the like. It's mostly just Fil'Amon that takes care of me, and he has other stuff he has to do sometimes.   Dazki: So why didn't Grogery know?   Theran: He knew I was into stars and all of that. We would go stargazing as often as we could, actually. But a lot of the breakthroughs I made were more recent than when he left.   Dazki:

  Theran: OK, OK, if you really want to know, when Grogery stopped Sending to me saying that he was having issues with it, I started doing research to figure out how I could do it, and try to do things where I could help him. Like teleporting or finding out information. And this is how I figured out how to do it, OK? And my parents don't know, and I'm not sure if Fil knows, and please don't let anybody know who's not supposed to know! I mean, obviously let Grogery know, if we find that he's still around.   Dazki: It's just, teleportation is really advanced magic, especially through The Wall™.   Theran: Again, it wasn't through The Wall™. I'm from the Windscar, there's no Wall™. But the teleportation, I think, was kind of an accident or a one-time thing.   Dazki: But to get here from the Windscar, you would still need to teleport through it.   Theran: Or around it.   Dazki: I suppose around it...   Dwardazik: I think you're missing the point. The point is that teleporting into a place, normally you're supposed to know it if I understand correctly. And the Phantasmagoria is basically a giant wibbly-wobbly... nothing's concrete here!   Dazki: I'm probably just being too suspicious, I apologize.   Theran: No, I mean, this is all super weird, and I do want to figure more out about all of this, let's just get some shelter and try to figure out what's going on.   Dazki: Seems reasonable to me.   Dwardazik: You don't need to be too suspicious. I frankly thought our friend here was going to stab us in the back while we were traveling, but now that he's here with us in the Mirage world... Remember "trap or destiny"? I think it really might be destiny. Anyway, so if we can't play with the tendrils of darkness, and you're moving this sand around, are we just going to stand here and wait? Or what?   Dazki: No, I think what Marvin is saying is that bare hands are not a good idea. With the tendrils of darkness.   Marvin: Yeah. Absolutely.   Dazki: If we want to try to follow them or figure something out using tools and not exposing ourselves to them, that's fine. Just don't bare-hand it. Try and figure it out, but use a little bit of caution.

Dazki, annoyed: All right. I see some light out there. We'll probably have to just stumble in that direction through the sand.   Theran: So... I'm going to stop building a shelter, then?   Dazki: Probably, yeah.   Dwardazik: If nothing else, we can use it as a reference point.   Theran: So. These tendril things are attaching here (the ground) to up there (the sky). Were they here last time? They were here last time, right?   Dwardazik: There's not really a "last time"... just kinda "was" or "is". I don't remember them, but they kind-of existed far away... it's confusing, OK?   Theran: And you say this is where Mirage Prime is? Or wants to be? He came from our reality, and wants something to do with this reality? And these tendrils are how he's doing it?   Dazki: Current working hypothesis.   Theran: It looks an awful lot like the... ... ...never mind, it's a stupid idea.   Dazki: No, no ideas are stupid.   Theran: So it's like, these things all fell across the ground like someone shot them from far away, right?   Dazki: OK...   Theran: What if they're not tendrils, but tethers? What if he shot them from the home plane, and tethered here, and now he's pulling this plane closer to that one?   Dazki: That... makes a lot of sense.

Theran: Is there anything here that would be harmful to the plane that we're from?   Dazki: Everything.   Dwardazik: Yeah, I'd wager that's about right.   Theran: Well, there you go!

Marvin: ...oh no.   Dazki: Marvin, you want us to hang back here? Want us to approach and leave you back here? Your choice on what to do here.   Marvin: Just give me a minute. You guys wait here, this won't take long.   Dazki: Take all the time you need.

Marvin, approaching: Dad?   "Nondescript Halfling": Hey! Star person!   Marvin tilts his head.   "Nondescript Halfling": You're the star person!   Marvin: ... ...and who might you be? You have me at a disadvantage.   "Nondescript Halfling": Let's just call me a traveler, at this point. You have... brilliant timing.   Marvin waves everybody else over to come join.   A traveler, at this point: Yes, perfect! All of the star people!   Theran: "Star CASTER", but OK.   Dwardazik: Why are you calling us "star people", eh? By the way, what's your name?   A traveler, at this point: I can't really... like... register who anybody is. Does that make any sense? You probably can't register me either, so...   Dwardazik: The name's Dwardazik Stoneturner Boulderhearth, and your name is?   A traveler, at this point: That's great, but we don't have time for this right now.   Dazki: OK?   A traveler, at this point: Like I say, you have either some brilliant or un-brilliant timing, depending on how brave you are.   Dwardazik: Well, since you don't feel like sharing your name, I don't feel like I can trust you.   A traveler, at this point: Consider me a knight in shining armor!   Dwardazik: Knights normally announce themselves. I'll consider you a rogue element. Maybe — MAYBE — not a member of Mirage Prime's entourage.   A knight in shining armor: Sure! Um, I don't know if you know this, but there are really big terrifying beasts here. VERY large. SUPER terrifying.   Dazki: We are aware.   A knight in shining armor: OK! Good... ...we've got that sorted. We're all aware of the giant, terrifying —

Theran: What in the seven heavens and nine hells are those?!   Dazki: Avatars...   Dwardazik, cracking his knuckles: Wellp. Here we go again.   Dazki: I fucking hate this place... I hate it so much...