Baobur seems to be recovering, unconscious, he mumbles fitfully. "No... you won't..." he groans.

Quote from BDaddLy >>

Baobur seems to be recovering, unconscious, he mumbles fitfully. "No... you won't..." he groans.

 (Just to frame this scene from a bird's eye view: Tevii and Baobur are in the "lobby" of the library tower of the redstone abbey. Baobur is sprawled on a wooden desk in the center of the circular room with Ollis at his head (knife point at his throat). Joja, you and Elodin are just outside the door (which is unlocked, unblocked, and ajar). Elodin, you and you alone are aware of the sinister presence in the graveyard roughly 100 mouse feet to your right, and Joja, there are two thick bright bands of light leading into the tower. Your senses are pushing you to rush through the door to where you are needed. 

Garo, no word on where you are. Are you with Elodin and Joja, are you near Keenwhistle on the path, or are you kicking it with Norn?)

Perspicacious feels the push of the wind, sighs, and let's go of the body she's in, grasping for one of the bands of light that leads into the Abbey. "So long, Joja... and good luck."

Perspicacious, you push on the coin, and something happens that has never occurred before. You experience that same rush of golden light as though you are about to displace another body, but instead of occupying another, you open your eyes in a dark room- as yourself. For the first time in a long time, you feel your horns, your tail... your natural body without the nausea-inducing effects of displacement. The space you find yourself in is enormous and empty. It is largely dark, with a slate-colored stone floor that curves outward and away impossibly as far as you can see in every direction. In the distance (perhaps a thousand feet away), you see Vasht bound in orange and purple bands of light frozen before the silver flame of the gate. Directly in front of you you see Amaruve (in bear form) and a tiny mouse-sized Ollis. You are all unarmed and standing in a 3-point formation facing inward

The three of you are decidedly surprised to find yourselves here, but having experienced transublimational weirdness for quite some time, the two of you are largely unaffected. Ollis, however, lets out a squeak of dismay and curls into a ball on the floor. Amaruve and Perspicacious, what do you do?

(For those following along at home, Perspicacious: you pushed on Amaruve's thread)

(Yeah, with Elodin and Joja.)

Elodin and Garo: you see Joja fade away and disappear before your eyes.

Tevii: the same thing happens to Baobur and Ollis

Amaruve starts awake, like waking from a nightmare. He looks around, and turns to Vasht's form in the distance with a groan. Then he turns back to the others...

He steps toward Prespicacious, lovely in her own form. He sniffs her, as he would in his original body, and bumps her with the top of his head in greeting.

He looks over to see what she's looking at. Finding a mouse here seems to be the only part of the situation that surprises him. He steps closer, and seeing Ollis fear plainly, Amaruve takes a Wild Shape. Transforming into a mouse. Not a mouse; Baobur. He feels light in this form without his armor and his hands fidget without the weight of his axe. He scampers toward the mystic and tilts his head, puzzled.

Gordra turns around looking in all directions. "Joja! Err..aa..Perspicacious! What's going on? Where did she go?"

Gordra, panicking slightly now that he's lost three of his five companions, tries to reach out with his mind's eye to locate any of them.

Rolling Magic: 12

Effect: Observe another place (in the present) **Just trying to see where any of his lost allies are**

Baobur- Ollis sniffs the air and looks up at you. Squinting, he adjusts his glasses and stammers, "Y-you look j-just like that f-fellow on my desk." He peers at you more closely and sniffs the air, "But you aren't him, are you? You're the one sh-sharing his body..." He shakes his head, "Stars and stones, what is happening? You were the size of a boulder just a moment ago, and that... that monster over there cannot exist," he gestures to Perspicacious' enormous form. "Are you demons?" he asks.

Quote from Shaz_Mazoo >>

 

Rolling Magic: 12
Effect: Observe another place (in the present) 

Gordra, your vision zooms across the lake like an arrow. In the twilight of your vision, you see two forms sprawled across the dirt floor of the cave- Joja and Baobur, who lie with their eyes closed, unmoving. At the back of the cave you see the relatively huge shape of a slumbering cat, no more than two feet from your companions.

Tevii, you hear Gordra's shout just on the other side of the door the moment Baobur and Ollis disappear. 

Amaruve shakes his head. Not demons. Who are we? "We are Lost." He squeaks.

Quote from BDaddLy >>

Amaruve shakes his head. Not demons. Who are we? "We are Lost." He squeaks.

Something in your tone strikes Ollis. He stares at you for a moment, then up to Perspicacious. He stands slowly, and then turns back to you, Amaruve. "I... believe you, stranger." He looks around himself,eyes settling on Vasht. "This place is only temporary. It is like a bubble balancing in a swirl of the larger stream- ready to pop at any moment. I sense a larger destiny around you both... I do not envy you for that." 

He holds out a hand to you, still looking at Vasht. "You are bound much like that creature there. Bound to your destiny, bound to this place between the worlds. I do not understand it, but I believe that you mean my world no harm. I will release a part of your power. Not all of it- just enough to heal the body you have stolen while in my world. In return, I ask that you take the monster that killed my brothers and sisters. He is much like you, and he stands between you and that gate."

He looks sad, and a white light extends from his hand. "Not as charitable as should be expected from the Order of the Tower, but... but I suppose I am all that is left- I must decide what is best for our land."  

With that the white light envelopes all of you, and you are returned to your mouse forms.

(Calvinball again. For this, I'd like you each to describe your intended action and roll 2d6+1. No need for moves just yet.

Ama and pers: you awaken in the cave with the cat. Baobur's body is healed. The gate is behind the feline, which is asleep (for now)

Everyone else, you can get to the cave by boat in less than five minutes if you leave immediately. 

Cordelia, how do you meet Gordra and Jean?

Whatever you do, Vasht appears in the sky again, heart of the novascope bleeding light from his hands. The gate is preparing to close!)

(Are our mouse forms under the huge shape of a slumbering c-... monster?)

[Edit: Ninjitsu]

(you're in the cave at viper lake. Much foreshadowed, finally seen. The cat bears an axe wound in its paw from the axe that Joja now carries (fished from the sea!). The cat (and you all have that word now that you're fully in control of your minds) completely blocks access to the gate. It is curled protectively around something...)

You're about two human feet from the cat

AmaruBur sits bolt upright with a gasp. He looks around frantically, then freezes seeing the slumbering beast.

He starts to back away slowly and finds Joja carrying his axe. He touches a finger to his lips and tries to decide a course of action... Ollie indicated the beast wasn't of this world, that it could be taken with us. Amaruve decides to try and get the portal between himself and the cat in an attempt to lure the creature in. (8)

(quick clarification: the portal is against the wall behind the cat like a doorway. There's no getting to the other side of it. You've also never carried anyone or anything with you before...)

Amaruve sticks to the concept of the plan. He plans to interpose himself between the two and juke the cat, if he can.

Map legend: 
Orange Lightning bolt: The cave and portal
Gold square: the abbey
Pink star: the coast
Purple Diamond: Riverside town
Red circle: The forest (where you first entered this world)