As Fortitude comes closer, Jessa seems pleased. "Fortitude really is a great place. Everything in its place. It's really wonderful," she says. "You all should stop there for a bit. At the very least get a good night's rest there in a safe place. I think I still remember a spot. Would you want to see the place?"  

As they get even closer, she muses, "There's a gate there to my home. Might just grab a bite to eat."  She pauses to look around at the others. "With all of you of course if you'd like. But then I will be on my way home! And you all can get back to finding your modron." 

Esta nods slowly, her gaze lingering on the pristine lines of Fortitude as they draw closer. "Maybe you're right, Zakhar. Automata... it does sound like the kind of place a modron would end up. But until we have a better reason not to, Fortitude seems like the right step."

She pauses, eyes scanning the orderly streets, the clean air brushing past her face like a whisper of something unfamiliar. "I’ve never seen a town like this before," she murmurs, almost to herself. "Everything in its place. Peaceful. Like it was built to be lived in, not just survived."

Her voice grows quieter, thoughtful. "Imagine waking up here every day. No chaos. No grime. Just... calm. I wonder what that would feel like." Then, with a breath, she straightens. "But we didn’t come here to settle. We came for answers. And if Fortitude has even a piece of that puzzle, then I’ll take it. One step closer to knowing why we’re in this wretched place."

Esta's eyes search the streets for where may be the first place to check.
Investigation: 20

Esta would first notice, from the height of the walking tower, that Fortitude is surrounded by an almost egg-shape wall, and all the blocks and zones in the area are sectioned into perfect hexagons. There is a low ziggaurat with seven steps in one area, with four large creatures that look like djinn around it, with a green flame at the top, and there is a two-story beehive like place closer to the center of town. When they stop and get down to walk into town, the air is warm but pleasant, but the people don't just look nice, they're almost -too- nice. Angels, some dwarves, elves and some other humanoids make up the people Esta sees so far here. Down past the beehive building is a large, white pavilion that seems to mimic a gladiator arena, and down another street there is a park where metallic critters scamper about with rigid playfulness.

If the modron and mimir need information about the gate towns, there is a fair chance they went toward the glowing green flame atop the ziggurat, which serves as the gateway to Arcadia itself.

Jessa would like to find her way back to her home. She would try to find any familiar area of Fortitude and tries to see where the gate back to her home might be. 

Esta, seeing the ziggurat, surmises that should be a place to check out. She turns to the party, particularly Jessa, and says "If I am to hazard a guess, I think there is a good place to check. Though, if you wanted to stop somewhere first on the way, we'll walk with you."

She looks to the rest to see if there any objections, before following Jessa to where she is going.

It isn't hard to find your way through the streets as they are exceptionally well made and manicured. Jessa probably recognizes the main points of interest and certainly would understand that the green flame on the ziggurat is the gate home, and as you get closer you can see four creatures standing around the structure and flame, each crackling and bristling with elemental power, who Jessa would probably know to be the four elemental lords that protect the gateway. 

Jessa approaches the elemental lords. "Greetings esteemed lords. I am seeking passage through the gates back to my home in the Shadow Realm." 

The lords slowly encircled the group a bit. "Shadow Realm?" The lord of air breathed over Jessa. "You are a long way from home then child. This is the gate to Arcadia, where beauty and precision meet in perfect unity, and everything is in flawless measure, a blessing to all goodness. If you are looking for the Shadow Realm, you should travel across the Outlands, to perhaps you mean Hopeless? The gate to Hades is there. Terrible place though."

Jessa shakes her head. "Well, no. I realize this is the gate to Arcadia. But I mean, there is a gate to my home in the Shadow Realm right near Fortitude. I've visited here many times." She looks around for a moment, "So if you could just direct me to that gate, I would much appreciate it." 

Esta stands back watching the exchange between her latest travel companion and the elemental beings before her. She casually walks to besides Jessa, and asks that her friend can find her way home if the gate remains. "Please, we've all come into some rather bad luck and this would be probably the most fortuitous thing to happen to one of us. If she can find her way home, then we would all appreciate that."

As she waits, she gazes into the fiery flame, wondering what may lay beyond... and hoping to find some answers here. "And if by chance happen to know also, do you know if a certain modron came through here, perhaps trying to collect some knowledge?"

The storm lord stops and looks out across the town for a moment. "Really? I'm afraid I don't know of any such portal in the town here. If it was outside the town though it is unlikely we would know about it or interact with it much, as our charge is here. We do get visitors and...others...from time to time, certainly, but I do not recall such a portal that you seek." They think again for a minute, drifting around in a slow circle. "Since we do not leave here much, perhaps someone else in town that might travel more extensively would know about your portal. As for a modron, yes, they did come by some time ago now. From what I gathered it was trying to follow the last Great Modron March, to what end though I couldn't say. But it didn't stay long."

Jessa looks a bit disappointed. "Ah... yes, perhaps you just didn't remember about it. I'll just search around outside the city. I'm absolutely sure it was there. Like I said, I've visited Fortitude many times. And that was how I got here."  She looks at the others, with a bit of a defeated shrug. "Yea, I'll just look outside the city." 

When they mention the Great Modron March, she tries to recall if she remembers such a thing. (History: 5) 

Esta ponders a moment whilst she tries to recall what the march is...
History: 9

"Hmmm not a clue what that may mean. But it sounds perhaps like it could be a set path perhaps? Do you know more about this?" Esta glances over to Jessa and says "We can wait in town whilst you enquire about your portal. We won't leave until you've either found what you are looking for or decide to come with."

The mimir that is traveling with you pipes up at the mention of The Great Modron March and says, "I have an entry in my data banks for The Great Modron March, but the rest of the information is currently missing. We should visit the other gate towns missing information from my data banks and restore my data. Then I will be able to relay all applicable information on this topic."

Jessa shrugs at Esta's question. "Not really sure. But I guess I will go look for the portal that they seem to not recall.  If you folks have other business, then I'll leave you to it and we can meet up later."  She pauses, not quite sure where they might meet. "I guess I'll find you at the ledcaru. Say by this time tomorrow." She then heads away from the portal area and back out of the city to start to look for her portal home. She tries to recall where she might have remembered it being, but feels like once she sees the right area it will all come to her. 

Jessa heads out of Fortitude to look for the portal she used to come through while the rest of the party stays to ask around the town for more information perhaps. The orderly town eventually gives way to the more chaotic nature of the Outlands as Jessa walks out to take a look around, heading in the direction she is most confident in. After a little while Jessa comes across a small ruin, mostly buried beneath grasses and dirt. Upon closer inspection, Jessa eventually sees markings on the stones indicating its use in portal stabilization, particularly ones from her home realm. From the looks of it, this portal has been defunct for some time.

Jessa spends some time inspecting the remains of the apparently defunct portal, trying to get past her disappointment. She finally gives up, trying to look about for anyone that might be nearby. If she can see anyone, she will approach them and ask if they know anything about the abandoned portal. 

Zakhar doesn't argue when everyone settles on traveling to Fortitude, they could use a break from this wild robot chase anyway. He finds the fact that the Great Modron March is also missing from the mirmr's data. Perhaps that's a lead? 

He can't help but feel disappointed when Jessa's portal seems to be non existent based on the local's explanations. He doesn't know her very well, but even still, getting at least one of them home would have been a spark of hope for them all. He walks with the others as they continue to ask around, and he frowns when they reach the small ruin. 

He sighs, "Well this just adds a whole other layer to our problem." He rubs the back of his neck as he stares at the portal. 

"Oh boy! It seems we've been scattered across time AND space!" The voice exclaims excitedly.