Dreams Into Journey

"Port'l? W'ere twould it port to?" ponders Jororic.

“That sounds like a tamed ego and it’s granfalloon...” Lyssida says with mix of fear and anger. 

“Why is that dragon’s plan already at that stage...?” She muses out loud. 

“Those orbs are basically familiars and commanders for a terrible beast. It may be dead, its soul still is in your world somewhere in two pieces. One of them knows who you are, and you put yourself in the path of the other by killing that ego!”

“To answer your question, Jororic, this portal leads to the Wyrdrealm. Currently, if you were to step through you would appear before me.”

“On that subject,” Nessarian speaks up after listening to the conversation, looking out a nearby window. “That may be a good idea. I am seeing a lot of movement in the mountains. I am pretty sure it is a horde of ogres!”

"A horde of ogres?"  Lia asks, moving to the window herself and looking out.

"Point of order, do you know if these braziers are important at all? One's red, one's blue, it reminds me of the orb a little bit, I dunno, I'm spitballing. Would extinguishing them be a good idea?

"And, er, as much as I dislike the idea of going through a portal to Nightmare Land, a 'horde' sounds like a lot. I don't even like _one_ ogre. Are the cities nearby going to be okay?"

Nessarian replies to Smallfry, “You could, if you so please. You are certainly close enough to feel that there is no heat to those fires. So I can say, with confidence that those are two instances of continual flame. Quite literally all flash, but no fire.”

”As for the cities, I know Kohmstead is far enough and  pretty well-defended as to be able to dispatch the travel-weary few stubborn enough to make the trip.”

Where did you and your dwarves companion come from?”

"Oh, it was this dwarven city of... uh, Blargledargle. Or something. I luckily didn't have to say the city's name that much! I mostly just called it, 'this fine city you have here,' and the citizens tended to really like it, especially if I said it in the context of buying them drinks. They asked Jororic and me to come check out this temple thing. I was kinda just passing through, though? I'm originally from Buckle Ford, way out in the country."

Jororic's face twists with Smallfry's mispronunciation: the kind of twisting one's face does when the fingernail drags across the chalkboard. "Bharghdarth how many times do I have to say it?" he replies in dwarven. To Smallfry, he says, "I t'ink yer commin' down wit' tha' funny-speech ag'in! Ya know tis Bharghdarth!"

 Smallfry responds in Dwarvish:

(Blargledargle made me laugh)

"Ah. How long has it since I've heard that that name...?" Nessarian nods with reflection in his tone. "If memory serves, Bharghdarth is quite the dwarven stronghold and even if they manage to breach the walls, there is a lot of capable fighters behind them. Many of which who have crafted their own weapons."

"I believe the local saying was, 'Hammers and weapons all swing the same.' I assume it still is."

"Ha!" laughs the dwarf to Smallfry's jesting. "t'ings ha' been strange of late. Sud'n holes 'neath yer feet. People talkin' funny. Odd t'ings. Tha's why we wus sent ta check ou' dis place 'ere."

Oswin will glance around at the others, "So are our choices really just hop into the magic portal to dreams on the say so of a strange being that at least knows of the creepy centaur demon we fought or face the ogres? Tough choice... By the way, do you know anything about some guy trying to perform a strange ritual in a cave that turned out to be a dragon skull? Is that related to all of this somehow?"

Lia turns her attention back to the mirror as she waits to hear the answer to that last question.

Lyssida responds to Jororic, "I apologize for that. As I said, there should be two of us Overseers to maintain the veil between our realities. But, with only me here, there will be parts of the Wyrdrealm leaking into your world. I often feel as if I were trying to keep together a dam on the brink of destruction."

She then replies to Oswin, "I wasn't the one who suggested that route. I merely wanted to speak with you. In all honesty, the Wyrdrealm is no less dangerous than your world."

"However, that being said, from what you have described. It seems that the Nuckelavee - or as you put it, 'creepy centaur demon' - and I may owe you some gratitude. Although, we did not know who was conducting this ritual you speak of, he did feel the compulsion from it. As frightening as he is, he does fear one thing. That is returning to be part of the Dragon-Tyrant Scerfozar."

"As thanks, I can provide you safe haven and the means to more safely navigate my domain, which will include passage to near any place any of you have slept at least once. Granted, some travel will still be involved, but it will be greatly reduced."

"Is there anything else we need to look at here?"  Lia asks the others.  "If not I suggest we take her up on the offer and move into her realm, at least to get away from here.  We could even return to town, if we can travel to somewhere we have slept before."

Oswin will ponder her response for a moment, "Somewhere any of us have slept? Do we have any need or desire to travel to a place our patron may have visited before? Perhaps with help and new information we may be able to discover something new there. Also, do you think she'd be a good person to ask about your library?"

Nessarian gives a chuckle, "Are you referring to the Library of Flying Books? I moved away from that search a century ago."

"But it is kind of nostalgic and somewhat refreshing to see a younger generation pick up that search. As futile as is may be."

"Is that what people call it, now...?" Lyssida chimes in. "It's easy to forget how long I've been doing my duty. Abzerilan would be dismayed that only his accomplishment is remembered."

"C-come again...?" Nessarian gives a double-take.

"From what you described, it's key characteristic matches the archive of a Human Archmage by the name of Abzerilan."

"How do you know about it...? Are are you capable of reading thoughts?" He asks with a mix of fear and curiosity.

"Figments of any kind cannot read minds, the dreamer influences our shapes only when their soma is active."

"But back to the point. Abzerilan nearly failed in making his library until he accidentally some of the latent magic of the Wyrdrealm. Needless to say, both the Overseer of Fantasy and I were not happy with it, to begin with. But we eventually came to an understanding. We allowed him to use the magic, but he had to protect some of our darker knowledge."

"Come to think of it, we may need to use some of it should the worst happen..."

"Can you tell us how to get to the library?" Lia asks, her interest peeked.

"where be dis library? If'n 'e coul'nae fin' it, can it be found now?"

"It's one of those things that are easier said than done." Lyssida says, assuming a ponderous position. "Due to the blend of earthly and Wyrdrealm magic, nobody can directly access it from where I am. But I'm pretty sure it's still up there."

"Wait, 'up there...?' What does that exactly mean?" "Nessarian says with some confusion.

"It's name doesn't refer to just the contents." She points a finger upwards.

"Don' be sayin' we gotsta leave behin' sweet mudder earth?" Jororic asks with not a little trepidation.