Forestalling the Past

General Summary

Introduction

The group of battered adventurers materialized through the portal entry in the settlement of Beyonder's Blades. They were tired from a day of bartering and moilt visions. Many of them still nursed wounds from slaying the monstrous Stellar Weaver.

Lilith went off to the inn for rest. Sirkel and Dariyana followed along in hopes of a hot meal. Farren went to check on her parents. Tidran stayed awake for a while working on trade routes on a map. Cassandra tended to a few errands around the settlement.

When Tidran and Cassandra walked by the inn, a second story window opened. "Fish, fish, fish . . ." Lilith's voice pierced through the evening air. Tidran felt somewhat guilty. He had promised their new companion a fish and he had ordered fish from his new trading partners to the south. However, the shipment would take a few days to reach the settlement. He talked with his sister and decided that the best thing to do in the interim would be to create a fish dish from the inn's food maker machine.

The arkus went to the machine and carefully scrolled through its menu options. Tidran selected the one which seemed to best approximate a fish dinner. He quietly placed the dinner tray (which indeed smelled of fish) at Lilith's door and knocked as he left. After a minute, Lilith peeked out and squinted at the dish with great suspicion. She scrunched up her nose and slowly withdrew the tray into her room.

Pull of the Abyss

Eventually, the group fell asleep as the twilight darkened. An unsettlingly familiar feeling of biting cold came over them. Each adventurer saw a narrow bridge in front of them ending in an abyss. Shadows began to slip across. The heroes appeared to be floating in an immense dark void. They all experienced the same thing but yet they also appeared alone. None of them could see any of their companions.

To their right they saw their bed/bedroll a long ways off through the darkness. Behind them was a crowd of people in unfamiliar clothing. The people were huddled at the base of an immense cliff. The group consisted of old men, worn women and a few children with haunted expressions. There were no young men or anyone who looked capable of really defending themselves. The bedraggled people stare in horror at the bridge as it grew ever darker.

An old man called from the adventurers' left. He begged for anyone to stand and buy time so that humanity might yet have a future. His voice was thin, pleading, and hoarse in the darkness. He looked up and waved frantically at the explorers. Without moving, they were suddenly standing and talking with the strange figure.

Needed Answers

The vision was much the same as the previous several nights except now it was much more detailed. Additionally, the old man could see them and talk with them! He answered their confused inquires with a brief explanation.

His name was Methuselah, and he spoke for the last vestige of humanity left alive. Mankind had reached into the stars and mastered time. They enjoyed a golden age of prosperity assured that nothing could harm them with their mighty temporal weapons. They were wrong.

It started quietly. An outpost set on the edge of their expansion and stationed a long time in the past fell silent. Scouts were sent. They never returned. One by one first outposts and then major hubs fell into darkness. An immense void yawned around humanity's empire. One by one the bright lights of civilization silently fell into the abyss.

The Eighth World fought back. Massive armies wielding powerful and arcane weapons marched on the blackness. None returned. Humanity in desperation used their most powerful and forbidden weapons of war. Immense temporal machines drew in incalculable amounts of esoteric energy and ripped jagged holes in the very fabric of reality. For a brief moment people dared to hope as they used the dimensions of the world itself to lash out.

Humanity's hope guttered out in the bone chilling cold of the utter void. Whatever malevolent will pushed the darkness also possessed temporal abilities. Through time and across space mankind was pushed relentlessly back by an unseen and terrible force. The shroud of blackness grew ever larger.

At the end, the people broke and fled. Their armies gone, their means of survival non-existent the refugees fled through time and space. Their numbers dwindled as those able to fight tried to slow the inexorable advance of annihilation. Eventually, only the very old and very young were left. This small final group huddled exhausted at the base of an immense cliff and watched in horror as their doom approached.

Methuselah explained that he had used the last of their anti-gravitron reserve to create a temporal chokepoint of sorts. The darkness would be forced to advance through that single point. This is what appeared to the adventurers as a slender bridge ending in the void. He was attempting to re-charge his anti-gravitron store to use a temporal weapon to a slightly different end.

The old man's plan was to use the weapon to pull the last of humanity out of time and allow the abyss to overcome the entire world. This would destroy the weapon and deposit mankind at some point in their future. The hope was that with the last of their time devices destroyed, the gloom of eternal night would eventually dissipate. Methuselah suspected that temporal ripples from his device (which he didn't have time to properly calibrate) were what was causing the adventurer's nightmares.

The End is not Yet

The white haired and stooped man paused for a moment and then reached out a hand to the explorers. His hand passed right through them. "As I expected" he muttered. "I believe that the next ripple will merge your time and mine. Up until now you have but glimpsed my time." For an instant the faintest memory of hope flickered across the deep lines of defeat etched on his face.

Methuselah pulled out a small device and tapped hurriedly on it several times. The adventurer's communications bracelets gave an odd chime as they received a message. The old man explained that he had just sent a blueprint for a container of sorts. He begged the heroes to use their day to make this container. The container would facilitate transporting the group of people out of time.

His haggard eyes seemed to stare into infinity and he seemed to steel himself for a moment. "I also need someone to stand on that bridge" he said very quietly. "I need some time to generate enough anti-gravitrons for the device to work. The chokepoint will funnel all their fury across that narrow point and we have none that can defend it." His haunted face seemed to sag further and his voice sunk very low "Most assuredly you would face death, and I cannot guarantee I could pull you out."

Morning

Suddenly, the old man disappeared and the adventurers awoke. A thin sheen of ice coated every surface within about ten feet or so of where they had slept. Their breath hung in the frosty air. No matter how thick their blankets were, they felt a piercing cold that seemed to penetrate into the very center of their being. Fortunately, as the sun crept higher the ice began to melt leaving behind only messy puddles and unpleasant memories.

After such a cold and bizarre night, the adventurers all decided to go to the inn for a hot breakfast and warm fire. It seemed the other inhabitants of the settlement had all experienced the same disturbing events and many of them packed into the inn clutching mugs of hot tea and cider. The heroes found a table together and began discussing the goings on and what they should do next.

Lilith stomped down the inn stairs with her shoes on the wrong feet and a bowl in her hands. The black-haired jack stormed up to the innkeeper and demanded loudly to know what sort of sorry excuse for fish was in the bowl. Tidran was suddenly very interested in a tiny scratch on the table in front of him.

  After the busy innkeeper had apologized profusely to Lilith, she harrumphed and joined the others. She shot Tidran a glare as she sat down. The issue of fish aside, the group got back to business. The plans for the container called for one thousand parts, which was approximately a thousand more than they had just lying around. Cassandra contacted Ivannia on her communicator and inquired about obtaining parts. Morganna was able to send six hundred parts via portal, but Ivannia would need a couple days to make more.

A messenger entered the inn and handed Tidran a note. It was a reply from some of the merchants in Nebalich. They were eager to establish trade with Beyonder's Blades and inquired about the best routes back and forth. The included list of possible goods to trade mentioned that Nebalich had recently received a large shipment of parts among other items.

Farren remembered that she had used the trans-local-fixer in Nebalich and so they had a stable portal to go back there. Sirkel wasn't too keen to go to a city but he reluctantly agreed to accompany his friends, especially when they mentioned that Nebalich might have cake for sale. The group's conversation turned to lighter topics as they finished eating.

An Odd Encounter

  Sirkel looked out the window of the inn and frowned. He was fairly certain there hadn't ever been a rock pillar with purple crystals next to the inn. He told his friends, but they were too busy discussing the end of the world to care about a rock column (they were hoping it would just go away without causing any trouble). His delve curiosity kicked in and he slipped outside the inn to take a closer look.

At the base of the pillar was a used up cypher which looked suspiciously like one that Sirkel had found recently. He checked the pouch on his belt and sure enough, he was missing a cypher! Suddenly a voice spoke inside his mind "Why are you so full of water?" Sirkel blinked. He had experienced telepathy before, but the question didn't make much sense. He was only carrying a small bottle of water having left his pack at the inn.

When he mentioned his water bottle once again another voice spoke in his mind "No, I mean why is there so much water circulating through you? Water erodes over time and yet you are three quarters liquid!" Sirkel tried to explain that he needed blood to live. He plucked one of the purple crystals off and studied it. He suddenly felt an invisible force open his fingers, and the crystal moved by itself and flew back to the rock pillar!

The voice spoke in his mind "There are strange energies coming from the past. Have you felt them?" At that moment one of the settler's pets ran across the town center. It was a small furry thing whose sole goal in life seemed to be emitting a shrill yipping sound and getting underfoot. The voice quieted for a moment. The yipping creature suddenly yawned and fell sound asleep in the middle of the road!

Sirkel was now a bit nervous about the odd rock column. He quickly began to explain that they meant no harm to the thing and desired to live in peace. Abruptly the rock pillar disappeared leaving Sirkel talking to thin air. The sleeping pet woke up, shook its head in puzzlement, and then continued yipping and running around. Sirkel went back inside the inn to finish eating.

Green Guardians

  The heroes finished eating and stepped outside. Their attention was drawn to the buzz of conversation coming from the settlement center. A group of golthiars was standing motionless in the center of the settlement. The adventurers approached the woody beings and tried talking to them. The leafy creatures just sat silently looking at them. 

Cassandra felt a tingle of sensation from the crystal in her forehead. She noticed that the golthiars where pulsing light beams back and forth amongst themselves. Acting on a hunch she tried to duplicate one of the light flashes. The golthiars stirred, and one of them projected a message in light on the ground. "We have no more purpose". Cassandra concentrated and she was able to reply with a projected message of her own. She could communicate with the golthiars!

The golthiars explained that they had been guardians of an ancient tree in the Beyond. However, the tree had burned down in the skysmasher's attack and left them wandering without a purpose. Cassandra asked if they would be willing to guard Beyonder's Blades, putting effort into the persuasion attempt. The golthiars agreed! They seemed quite happy (if that's possible for a tree being) to have a purpose again, and they trotted off to form a circle around the settlement. 

Cassandra's companions had not been able to see the light flashes. To them, Cassandra appeared to be having a very intense staring match with the golthiars. Suddenly, the golthiars left the town center and formed a circle around the town! Lilith put her hand on her sword. Cassandra quickly explained what was actually going on and everyone was relieved to have such sturdy additions to their settlement.

To Nebalich

  The explorers proceeded to the portal set up in town. They set the destination to Nebalich and stepped through into a locked room. Farren produced the key and the group set out through the city. The air smelled of salt and sea birds squawked and swooped above them. Tidran took the lead and they eventually ended up at a merchant's shop set up by the docks.

Tidran greeted his contact. The two of them had a long conversation about trade routes and other logistics involved with moving goods around. Tidran, Cassandra, and Dariyana were happy to hear that the Yellow Serpents had been driven underground by the Ivannian forces. Tidran finally got around to the main point of their visit: obtaining four hundred parts that day.

The merchant bartered for a bit and eventually gave them a bulk discount on the parts. Tidran mentioned that they had a portal device (purposefully not revealing that it was a permanent, stable portal) and could take an entire caravan back to Beyonder's Blades that day. The merchant was surprised by this. Teleportation suits were expensive and typically reserved for very important occasions. However, he agreed to have a caravan full of trade goods and parts ready in a few hours. 

Shopping Spree

  Happy to have obtained all the parts in time and with a few hours to kill, the explorers decided to visit the vendor stalls and stock up on supplies. They happened upon an odds and ends shop and went inside in search of cyphers. They made some good finds in the dusty shop and were able to barter for a good price. Farren visited a numenera tinker as was able to find some rare components for one of her projects. 

With packs full of cyphers Cassanda and Tidran took the group to the fish market. Lilith squealed in delight at the stalls full of colorful fish in all shapes and sizes. Upon being instructed to select whatever she desired, she marched up to a prominent stall and demanded his two largest fish in the bass family. The vendor smiled and opened an ice box behind the counter. He grunted with effort and tugged out two enormous brown fish. Each fish was longer than he was tall!

Fish Fry

Cassandra suggested a fish fry back at the settlement, and Lilith agreed. They enlisted a couple of local children to help carry the gigantic fish back to their portal. Soon, the merchant and his caravan of aneens pulled up in front of the building. Farren made a show of activating the portal, and explorers, aneens, merchants, and two humongous fish passed through. 

  The merchant dropped off their parts, and the crew set to work building the container type thing. It was fairly straight forward to build albeit of an odd design. When they were finished, they noticed that although one thousand parts on their own are very heavy, the finished construct was very light and could easily be moved with one hand. Satisfied they had done what they could to prevent calamity they set about having an epic fish fry.

They constructed a large fire in the center of town, Sirkel found a huge pot, and Lilith supervised the cooking. Soon the delicious aroma of cooking fish wafted through Beyonder's Blades. The settlers didn't need an invitation, their noses informed them of the repaste. They drifted in and everyone enjoyed the wonderful fish fry! Lilith was quite happy to have real fish and not machine produced mush made of who knows what in a bowl. 

After dinner, everyone got ready. Tonight would see the merging of two timelines!