Goodhand's Inn Room:

As Twill draws on the wall, Voldred looks over and tries to recognize what kind of magic she's invoking.

Arcana check: 13

This also makes Voldred suspicious of the situation, since he saw very little to suggest Twill knows how to use magic, but he keeps it to himself for now as he finishes putting on armor.

Voldred suspects he might still be trapped in a dream, but so far his senses suggest otherwise. Nevertheless, Voldred is on high alert.

When he's done armoring up, Voldred takes his backpack, grabs his dagger and walks over to the portal.

"Ladies first." Voldred says, looking expectantly at Twill.

Noldeme, Nae, and Xamodas | Chloro Hill 

"Oh, you too? So you also know me?" Noldeme responds, just as surprised as she was last time she heard some unknown face calling her name. "Sick? I suppose... I really don't remember you, yes... That's why I think there's no reason to say "no" to a story, quite a few things are making me curious, especially this place and these people who know me."

Spearhead Tent Training Illusion:

Iam:  Eli watches you move to the example bridge.  "Taking a crack at the alternate solution?  I'm not sure if filing off the seals counts as brute forcing, but I'd give it a shot."   The circle is difficult to file away, but you manage to break the circle, and immediately, the plank falls out of place.  The voice chimes up again:

"Yes, a basic drawback of seals if of course that the breaking of one can immediately ruin any active effects. A seal that is extremely durable, visible, and large is the most effective at it's task.  There are some advanced applications of seal-breaking, but let's not dawdle on that. Since you like to perhaps take things apart, rather than put them together, be prepared for this next task."

Eli shrugs  "I mean, it is a basic course, guess sometimes simple solutions work out."  The bridges disapear from the area. (+300 XP)    Suddenly, a scarecrow wearing a tophat and monocle appears not too far from you and begins hopping towards you, hopping on it's post as a means of locomotion.  "Ah, this is a familiar sight, good luck with this one."  Your not sure what he means, but without realizing it, your brandishing your Magical Multitool, which suddenly flips out into a wicked dagger.  Guess this is the tool for the job.  The voice chimes.  "Beat the scarecrow, bonus if you can use a seal to do it."    Roll for intiative.  -4

Archway Offices:

Ulrich:  "Remittance man?  Odd name, but that's a good place to start."  Elan chimes  "I think it the outfit suits you quite well.  You can just take off the jacket when we're out and about."  The suit is very baggy, but Elan waves their hand, and strings of magic begin weaving themselves through, and soon the outfit fits perfectly.  "Social graces are quite the thing to have, it was never my strong suit , at least in the South.  Quite a bit of ceremony.  Really, when push comes to shove, I'm sure you'll be more than ready for anything that's thrown at you.  Which reminds me, this is for you."  He drags out a small container that was in the corner of the room, and pops it open.  Inside is a strange looking device with an antenna and several knobs, a collection of three board games, and an ornate tea set.  "I bet if you figure out everything in there, we should be actually prepared."  A sheet of paper describes the items.  '(1) Bouy + 3 months replacement "batteries", connects to The Wavelength, some strange magic present in the south that carries audio over long distances almost instantly.  Use to keep up to date and learn about news and culture, this one is equipped magic earbuds to auto-translate. ((It's a handheld radio, in case that wasn't obvious));  (1) Backgammon set (1)Yacht Dice set (1) Go set.  For work and for play, buisness deals are often won over these games.  Known to be taken very, very seriously. ;  (1) Tea ceremony set, instructions included.  Very, very complex, even slight mistakes show great disgrace.  Also, everyone makes tea everywhere.'

"Can I go now?  I have to use the bathroom."   says the assitant.  Elan pulls out opens up a small closet, which seems to magically warp the clothing into it like a swirling vaccum.  "Yes, go ahead, but be back soon."

Spearhead tent training illusion 

Iam hastily uses the dagger to inscribe the emperor seal on the ground in front of himself, then steps back to let the scarecrow hop to him. He remains ready to move the opposite direction the scarecrow if it goes around the seal.

Initiative 9

Orina (Bunny Knight) | Wrightway Inn (Body) <-> ??? (Mind)

"A... a soul symphonic?"  Orina frowns… what Barnabus was describing sounded much more similar to what Grr Grr Frr had said before.  She still felt muddled about what it could all mean and what it had to do with her specifically, though, and decided to put that thought aside for the moment.  Instead she focused on what Barnabus had said next. 

"You said your family should have made plans for your dungeon, right?  It might be good if I was able to find them."  Privately, she thought the chance of Barnabus having any useful information on that front to be slim, considering that he didn't even seem to be aware that the Tower he was telling her about no longer existed.  But it wouldn't do to hurt the man's feelings, even if he was supposedly just a recording of the real Barnabus's memories, and she agreed that it was only right to bring his last memorial to his family for his final rest.  And she was curious about the existence of this missing town of Barnborough.  Come to think of it, the Cordivae library or even the locals, like the MacGullicksons, might know something about the history of the area.  Still, she had the best and most accurate historical resource right in front of her - the man who'd lived there when he'd been alive. 

"Could tell me more about Barnborough?  A lot of time has passed since then, and I didn't see any evidence of the Stoneshield family in the area anymore…  you think they might have moved into Cordivae City instead?"

Archway Offices: 

"I do not know the dice game. But I have limited experience with the other two. Well, if nothing else, there will be plenty of people willing to deal with me if only to beat me at the games.  As for the tea ceremony," Ulrich lets a slow breath. "That will take some practice. Thank you for including the directions. I shall look it over at the earliest."

He spends quite a bit of time looking over the contraption. "Most remarkable. I would never have conceived of this being possible without a communication spell." He turns the dial slowly, noting the range of voices and topics spoken. "This is a common thing in the south?" He tilts his head. "Can this be used... here I would ask one of a choice of book they favor. Do they do the same with this thing?"

Rafon's Run: Road to Glanyrafon

Tsahil:  Your bolt completely misses, but in response, the driver leaps out, and shoots inside the wagon at the Triton.  Attack: 12 Damage: 6  The Shotgun blasts with a CRACKA that makes your ears ring.

The Triton is nearly knocked down from the force of the blow as he is filled with buckshot.  You here the drafthorses whinny, and the wagon slowly starts moving forward.  The Triton takes the reins, and attempts to get them to hurry forward.

Goodhand's Inn-> Riverport Streets:

Voldred:  You recognize the sealing magic.  By channeling magic through the symbols, unique power can come forth, even without having a spell completely prepared, if the time is put in to create the seal.

Twill heads outside, and suddenly looks down as if she just stepped in something.  "Water- but my boots aren't wet."  Indeed, when stepping on the ground outside, it gives off strange, slightly illuminated ripples.  It seems strangely bright out for what should a dark pre-twilight.  Twill looks up  "Something's not right...last time I checked, there's only one moon, not three."

Goodhand's Inn

"Twill, come back here! For all you know that portal just took you to another plane! Where did you even learn to draw that seal?!"

Voldred is still dubious about the situation, but something about Twill's behavior just now suggested to him she's probably not and impostor or illusion. Voldred is still suspicious of her, but decided to treat her as his companion until proven otherwise.

"I'm not going through that portal, especially with all the weird shit on the other side! If you want to leave the room that's fine, but we're doing it the old-fashioned way. And I'm leaving with or without you."

Having said that, Voldred walks to the door and starts to move the bed aside to open the door and leave.

"If something wants to trap me, it will have to try harder than that...unless I'm already caught, but in that case it doesn't make a difference anyway." Voldred says to himself.

Rafon's Run: Road to Glanyrafon

"Oh no, you wont..." Tsahil thinks out loud. If he's close enough, he'll try and climb the wagon before it catches speed, and deal with the triton melee. If it's too far, he'll try another arrow.

Attack: 6; dmg: 11 (for rapier, if melee) or 7 (for shortbow, if ranged)

OOC: damn, those rolls

Riverside Village:

Nae, Noldeme, Xamodas:  The otter gives a smile  "Good to be known, it is.  Forget a face, I never, especially not you."  They seem to continue on their story as you walk through the town, which mostly consists of halfings with odd features: small noses, round heads, and quaint mouths that almost make them look otterlike.  Many of them stare as you pass through, but a firm glare from your guide keeps them at bay.  "since your last coming here, many sways did pass.  Younger, you were, a lot younger.  Brought you here, your parents did.  Look just like your mother, you do.  Came here to escape past mistakes, they said.  As quickly as they came, they left, and they left you behind.  Raise you like my own daughter, I did...well, really, you could say it took a village." The otters voice cracks and wavers a bit   " Not but a dozen moons later, your guardians came to reclaim you; sad to us, it was, but we had little right or ability to keep you from them.  You for 13 years since, I haven't seen."

Spearhead Tent Illusion:

Iam:  You manage to carve the seal quickly as the Scarecrow approaches.  It's small, but the Scarecrows tactics don't seem to be very optimal.  It's post lands directly on the mark, and as it hits it, it begins to lean forward as it's base stays in place.  It slowly wobbles to a halt.  "Good, this is actually a basic principle, imagine you put your magic in the seal on the ground, it doesn't fortify the earth hardly at.  Think of it a bit like a circuit, where it always tries to take the path of least resistance.  It's quite easier to get a seal to work outward, rather than inward; As developments, we especially want ways to get them work inward, cause that's how we make cool stuff, like the very durable scarecrow you see here." (+300 XP)

"Now, for your final test:"  You are suddenly in the middle of a starry night sky and you begin falling, or at the very least hit with a sensation so close to doing so that it might as well be the real thing; you hope it's the latter. You see lights coming quickly toward you, from what you can only assume is the ground.  "Now would be a good time to tell me how exactly you survive."

Spearhead tent training illusion 

Iam is surprised to be falling. "This seems like a long fall, so let's start with trying something simple." Iam attemps to draw the symbol in the air below his own feet. If the ground wasn't simply the ground then there should be no reason the air could not hold him except for a lack of will and imagination on his own part.

Riverside Village
Nae listens silently as the otters talk, her face goes through various stages of discomfort before she land on something more simple. Concern for her friend

Wrightway Inn (Body) <-> ??? (Mind):

Orina:  "No sign of Barnborough?  Moved into Corvidae City?  A lot has changed indeed.  Last I recall, Corvidae was constructing some kind of structure nearby, certainly expanded.  However, dwarves are a stubborn lot, they wouldn't move out of a town unless they absolutely had to, it would be disrespectful to their ancestors that put their hard work into it...that being me of course!"  You see him contort his face, trying to make himself sad or angry, but he gives up and just sighs.  "I never imagined something like that happening, so I can't understand how I'm supposed to feel now.  I can tell you all about Barnborough, down to the centimeter.  Even it is gone out there, it exists here."

The workshop suddenly shifts into a humble town.  You see a stone tower built in the the middle of a large, domed structure, a flag with a shield flies at its peak.  Dozens of tall brick houses with sturdy sloped log roofs surround it.  The Tower looms far in the distance.  "Everything we took from the ground, we brought up for our homes, for our lives."  Whispy figures suddenly fill in the empty spaces, and dozens more dwavrish figures come to life around you; the only indication of their falsehood being dull grey voids where their eyes should be.  "I remember this day like it was yesterday, and I knew this town better than I knew myself.  I can tell you about every house, every person, every stone.  You might just intrested in seeing what happens next, quite an event happens today.  I can take you too the top of my tower and show you."

Archway Offices:

Ulrich:  "They'll be a good thing to do to pass the time on our travels.  You won't be a master by the time you get there, but you'll learn.  Yesterday I was told I had some time to prepare, and today they say we have to leave by tommorow.  He really has a way of getting under my skin, you know?  I suppose you don't, actually, nevermind."

You turn on the device, which seems to mostly pick up static, but eventually an energetic voice is picked up.  "-number one pirate wavelength in the north!  If you're lucky enough to be listening, then your about to be even luckier, cause it's the number 1 wave on the ocean, here's One More Step by "Run Aground" ". It transistions into a solemn and powerful song about the bond of soldiers, featuring a chorus and sounds you've never heard before, coming from intruments you doubt you know the name of.  It is altogether a very jarring experience, and you flick through a bit more static.  There are a few other tunes playing that are impossible to pick up over the static, before another, more knowledgable voice comes out clearly.  "-travesties that are being carried out by the personal forces of the corrupt northern nobles, with no response from the government.  If you listener, wish to do something, stay tuned for tonights encoded message.  In other news, reports say that an odd amount of commotion is about in Corvidae, rumors abound a possible schedule change regarding the Winter's End festival..."  You can't seem to pick up more than those two channels at the moment.

"Everybody likes something different, lots of genres." says Elan.  "You won't pick up much here except pirate station...literally, pirates that come by the coast broadcasting.  Selling or owning one of these can make you subject to quite a bit of fines, since it's a southern good. Truth be told, the south doesn't have much good to say about the north, and the north doesn't its people to hear it; if they did, they might just listen.  Ah, but forget I said that."

Archway Offices:

"I don't imagine that they would have kind words for us. And not sure who would listen, as if they didn't know. But I suppose there are those, if only for the shock value. I'll have to remember to listen to this. It would be good to learn more of their outlook. Give them less to surprise me with. Maybe even see about those 'encoded messages'. Is there anything else I need to know, or work on?" Ulrich puts the items together, judging how best to pack them. "Do I need to try anything else on?"

Noldeme, Nae, and Xamodas | Riverside Village 

Noldeme's reaction comes off as nothing except surprised, "That's interesting... I've never heard about that... And truthfully, I don't even think I remember who those guardians of mine are... At the same time, it sounds believable. I've been here before I know it... But the oldest memory I have was waking up on a ship in the middle of the ocean... Nothing to do with any of those stories."

Goodhand's Inn:

Voldred:  You open the door, you notice the floor seems somewhat damp.  "Hey, what's taking you the opening's not going to last much-"  you can't hear Twill's voice anymore, as the opening shuts behind you.  You look down the hall, and suddenly see a flutter of purple robes around the corner.  Before you can decide wether to pursue them or not, they suddenly are rushing down the hallway.  "Notimetoexplainkeeprunninggetout." you hear them say as they blur by you, and grab your hand to try pull you along.  You look down the hallway again, and a torrent of rushing water with a swarm of viscious fish behind it is coming your way.

Rafon's Run: Road to Glanyrafon:

Tsahil:  You take a shot with your crossbow, but your bolt flies wild as you try to keep up with the wagon before it accelerates away..  You manage to just get to the edge of the wagon and leap on before it gets to far.  The driver tries to keep up as well, but he only manages to hand on to the side for dear life.  The Triton looks back, and then does a double take as he sees you coming up to the front of the wagon, so he let's go of the reins as he heads back. "Sorry, this is your stop."  he says as he gives you a swift kick in the chest in an attempt to push you off.  5  (Roll athletics to contest his push)

Goodhand's Inn:

Voldred instinctively yanks his hand out of their grasp, but seeing the obvious mortal danger heading his way leaves him only 2 options: run with the robed figure, or shut the door and hope it stops all the water. Neither of the options are ideal, but Voldred trusts his legs more than the door at this point, so he decides to run.

"Motherfu-"

Is all Voldred manages to bark in frustration before he needs to conserve his breath for the distance.

Rafon's Run: Road to Glanyrafon:

Tsahil's Athletics check: 12

Orina (Bunny Knight) | Wrightway Inn (Body) <-> ??? (Mind)

"It's in the nature of people to change," Orina tells Barnabus.  "You're maybe better off than the rest of us still living.  There's no use in getting angry about it, because change would've come anyway.  And emotions running high when people try to resist that change usually end up hurting other people, one way or the other."  She falls silent for a moment, thinking about her family, and their unwillingness to accept her own desire to change.  But, her thoughts are cut short as the dwarf summons his memories in physical form before her.  Orina tries and fails to hold in her gasp as the scenery changes suddenly.  Interest piqued, she looks around carefully, trying to match up in her mind the lay of the forested land and the images of the phantom city that she's being shown.  She also squints at Barnabus' illusory Tower, trying to compare it to the actual Tower which she'd only seen glimpses of in Cordivae.

"I am interested... but what about the forest and the animals there?  Did the original settlers here have any trouble, er... taming the area?"  Her cautious probe is to try and place Barnabus' memory with Beau's story of the Wildren... she can't imagine that Beau and her compatriots would have settled in the forest and allowed the Stoneshields to settle there and plunder the land of its resources without a fight.  "Please, show me what happened at the Tower!" she adds eagerly.

The Sky -> The Ground:

Iam:  You trace the sigil in the air, and with a flash of orangish light, seemingly nothing happens.  Before you can try again, there is a splash of water and you hit the ground- there is no pain, only the dizzying feeling of suddenly coming to a complete stop.   "Congrats, you just casted sigil magic without really trying.  Don't worry, I would have saved you if you didn't figure it out, or if you made the mistake of marking yourself and almost ended up under 6 feet of rubble. Here, I made a something for you to remember the occasion."  Your manual, thankfully waterproof, turns into a small Identification card and pins itself to your breast, which bears a nice picture of your face mid fall.  Thankfully, you remained quite photogenic in that situation.  It bears a plus sign, your name as you wrote it on the form, that photo of you, the spearhead emblem, and a small emperor symbol in the corner.   You will it back to the manual, and it contains new knowledge about the emperor seal and seals in general, mostly the things you just learned.

You bring your head out of the water, expecting the illusion to dissapate, but it does not.  You seem to be smack in the middle of the Corvidaes Religious district, wading in its reflecting pool.  You turn your head to see someone rushing toward the pool to fish you out.  "Are you alright? " says Eli  "Sick sense of humor for whomever made this test to pull such a stunt.  Your not missing any pieces are you?  We need to get moving, if were seen out past curfew we could be in trouble, and we can't head back to the tent.  One of these temples will have to do, any preferences?"

Riverside Village:

Nae, Noldeme, Xamodas:

The otter stops, and looks you over slowly "Rememeber anything, you cannot?  Nothing at all?"  Noldemes reactions seemigly speak volumes, the otter simply frowns and hangs its head.  "harder for me to remember than they are for you to lose, memories are.  No explanation for a such a sudden loss, I have..."

They sudden lift their head and say, as if reading your thoughts "...Travelers, no doubt you are?  Quick transport downriver, no doubt you desire. You are not the first to ask.  By the shore, you must wait, attend to your needs shortly, I will."  before hurrying off to a cottage you were oddly close to, probably even heading towards originally; you are left in the center of this village.