Turn of Fortune's Wheel (Gnomes' game)

Eithne isn't exactly inclined to suspend the mission, which could perhaps shed light on her past, just to play a ballgame... "It's a kind invitation," she replies "for which I thank you, by the way, but I fear more pressing matters require our attention right now... I think we'll continue our journey and leave you to play in peace."

The Savage Wanderer, however, can't help but turn her azure eyes toward the solitary figure who seems a bit confused... A sort of déjà vu reminds her of how she herself encountered the walking tower...

'Don't bother with that, Eithne!' the Voices in her head try to divert her.
'You don't know that creature.'
'You think you stop every time you see someone looking confused, perhaps?'
'If Jesa had thought that way,' the Lone Survivor mentally replies 'Faith, I—and you all too—would still be in deep trouble. I want to at least check...' and so she look intently - and sees...

The woman bearing the confused expression has curved black horns atop her head, clearly marking her as a tiefling. Her hair is a stark white while her eyes are a dark grey. Numerous brown freckles dot the cheeks of her very light-complexioned skin. She looks up at the strange castle-like structure, seeming to study it for a moment before looking around at the rest of her surroundings. If the modron seems close enough to hear her, she calls out to it. "Excuse me! But do you know where exactly I am?"  

If Eithne had any doubts, they are swept away as the newcomer loudly expresses her bewilderment. Ignoring the further considerations of the Voices in her head, she warns the party: "Another one like me... She too is here, in this crossroads of outer planes, with no memory of what happened... It's appropriate to stop the tower and help the tiefling—or at least check to see if she needs help."

Without further ado, the Lone Survivor, dressed in her usual simple traveling clothes, steps out into the open and walks toward the tiefling, with the fluid, elegant stride that wood elves naturally develop, unhurried but also unhesitating. "You're in the middle of the Outlands... hopefully not too far from Sylvania, since that's where we're headed. So..." the elf's azure eyes have a certain gleam of concern and empathy, while a gust of breeze makes her smooth brown hair sway, "you also ended up here without remembering exactly how? It happened to me too, recently... Anyway," reaching a close distance, she holds out her hand with a slight, bittersweet smile, uncertain but sincere "at least I remember my name. I'm Eithne."

The tiefling laughs as the wood elf greets her. "How strange! I at least remember my name as well.  It's Britari." She again glances around the place. "The Outlands? I was in Sigil but then... and... well, I'm not sure how I got there, either." 

She stops her musings and looks again at the woman. "Good to meet you Eithne. What business takes you to Sylvania?"

She still seems disoriented. But at least she had someone to talk to.  

"It's my pleasure too, Britari," Eithne's smile grows stronger. "I and... my other companions traveling with me on that walking tower, are visiting several cities in the Outlands, because we have a Mimir to repair. And the way to fix it, it seems, is to help it absorb the influences of some portals to the Outer Planes located in several cities in the Outlands. And one of those cities is Sylvania, our next stop."

"But come, please" at a gesture from the Savage Wanderer, the breeze that had previously caressed her hair begins to blow gently in the direction of the tower, as if to underline her invitation "come inside and be our guest, so that one of those who initially received the Mimir can explain things to you better. I joined later myself and so I only have second-hand news. But you know, the point is that the creature who possesses the Mimir, it seems, might be able to help us recover our memories, in exchange for our 'fix service'. This means a lot to me," her azure eyes take on a slightly more saddened light "because some parts of my tragic past still remain obscure to me - and I am convinced that recovering the memory of them will be, yes, painful, but also indispensable in order to be able to do something about it. My life has been turned upside down - and that is a fact. Finding out how this happened... perhaps will allow me to straighten it out. Or, at the very least, will help me feel more like my life is mine again. Perhaps you will decide to join us too - you too could... recover the memory of what happened to you -assuming it's important to you."

'You don't need to tell all  to the first stranger you meet, you know...' point out the Voices in her head.
'But Britari is nice...'
'Traitors often are!'
'But they often remember at least who they have to betray, instead of walking around confused and helpless!' the Lone Survivor mentally snorts. 'How can you not understand that we need allies?! Haven't you seen how the strong and noble Jesa was taken from her life in a flash?! This place is as wonderful as it is cruel. Britari would be in grave danger alone... With us, however, she will be safer... and we will be safer as well!'

"You are fixing a Mimir for someone who will help you recover your memory?" Britari repeats. "And you said us? There are others that lost their memories here?" She had followed to go inside, curious to see who these others might be.  "I must say, I've been trying to piece together what happened to me for a while.  Even before I mysteriously ended up in Sigil. I do think it's important to try to figure it out."

Once inside she looks around at the place and to try to see who else might be here. 

Inside there was a woman with white hair and silvery skin. "Hello, I'm Faith. Pleased to meet you."

"Good to meet you as well Faith," Britari says in reply. For a moment her attention was diverted towards Faith, but then she makes note of where the items recovered after Jesa disappeared had been set. "Wait!" she says with sudden surprise. "That's my key!"  She briskly walks over and picks up what looks like an ornate key. It is made of bright copper decorated with semi-precious stones and detailed engraved filigree.

She spins back to Faith and Eithne. "How did you get this?" There's a hint of a suspicion in her voice. 

(OOC - I took a bit of liberty that the items were there. Also @Gnomesftw - I think you have to set Jesa to Deactivated and activate Britari for the Campaign.)  

Faith answers sounding puzzled, "That belonged to the woman who rescued us newcomers to this group. It was left behind when her body disappeared. Why do you say it's yours?"

(Britari should be activated now!)

Britari holds up the key. "Well, it looks like mine. How many keys like this have you seen? If this other woman had it, then how did she get it?"

She again looks around at the others here in the Iedcaru. Her eyes land on Esta and rest there for a bit.  (OOC - Assuming that the others that haven't posted yet are here.)

Faith answered, "I don't now where she got it from, she had it when she rescued us out side the city of mechanical beings."

"It is so, Britari," Eithne confirms, her voice calm and musical. "I remember it too. Perhaps all these strange things involving us—the incomplete memories, the disappearing bodies, the unlikely things that unite different people (like the key for you and Jesa)—are all part of the convoluted mystery we're trying to unravel."

"You understand we're acting in good faith, right?" the Savage Wanderer fixes her sincere azure eyes on the tiefling's. "If we'd stolen the key from you before, we certainly wouldn't have stopped to speak to you now—much less invited you into the tower. We're just... groping in the dark like you."

"Fascinating," the modron says as it watches your interactions. "But if you have elected not to intervene in the fate of an innocent soul, we will complete the game another way."

Eithne flinches at the modron's comment and turns to the construct, raising a perplexed eyebrow: "What does 'fate of an innocent soul' have to do with this? You were telling us about a ball game... You're not playing with the fate of a soul, are you? A soul, especially an innocent one, doesn't seem like the most suitable object to play with"  and the dark hoot of an owl echoes, adding a more dramatic tone to her gaze.

'If these creatures can afford to play with souls, perhaps it's best not to interfere, Eithne...' the Voices in her head quickly intervene.
'They could kidnap your soul too...'
'Or maybe us!'
The Lone Survivor is almost tempted for a moment to delve deeper into whether this 'game' could actually free her from the Voices... but it's a thought she quickly dismisses. The Voices may be intrusive... annoying... sometimes driving her to the brink of madness... but they are still the voices of elves who were part of her tribe, her people. She hopes that if they ever fall silent, it will be because they have found peace—not because they have ended up in an even worse situation than they already are.

The Savage Wanderer therefore patiently awaits clarification from the modron.

Britari looked almost as though she was going to say something when the modron spoke up. She's nearly forgotten about it. 

"Yea, what are you talking about?" she asks. "You said something about a ballgame? The fate of a soul? What does any of that mean?"

The modron whirs softly for a second. "Yes. Every 300 years a game of Spireball is played between Angels and Demons in observance of an ancient agreement between a god and a demon lord. The victors of this match claim a priceless trophy: the fate of an innocent soul. I can explain the rules if you wish. Both teams do love visitors play for their team, but you are also welcome to watch the game and, if you are so inclined, attempt to, ah, support, one side or the other."

"We can either watch and attempt to support one side or another, and I presume if we play then we also have to pick one side to support as well?" Britari asks. "I'm not sure though I understand who this soul is. Or how our playing would really help. I'd think the Angels and Demons would be far better players, especially if they know the game."  She looks around at the others that invited her to the Iedcaru. "I think I'd rather watch and try to figure out what's going on with us." 

"I may be part angel, but I have no idea what this game is about either."

Rogferr looks at the modron for a minute before turning to the new individual.

“It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Britari. Welcome to the party, please call me Rogferr.”

Turning to the modron.

“I fear that if one joins a competition without the understanding needed they are very likely to be more of a detriment than a boon. I am hesitant to force my way into a game played by angels and demons but do we have time to talk to people involved with this game before it stops?”