Twinkling specks of light, shining far in the distance, surround you as the Concord Jewel, which are the plane traveling platforms of the Citadel, of the land of San Citlan flies through ether, tendrils of misty vapor curling around the flying object, intending to swallow it whole. Thankfully, a shimmering field of energy, of a color that can only be described as the hue of a brilliant fire opal gem, repels the reaching, draining tentacles of shadow wind as the platform moves towards its far off destination

In the middle of the stands a tower reminiscent of the crow's nest of a pirate ship, though some of you have only heard about such a feature in books, having spent all your life in the Ethereal Plane. Atop the tower, which is made of fire opal as the rest of the strange ship is, the Claviger, or which are the pilots of Concord Jewels, a man by the name of Despario, navigates and propels the Concord Jewel though the grey of the realm around you, using ancient magic known only to a few to transport the ship from one plane to another

Besides your group, no other passengers are aboard the ship, and the journey has been fairly lonely in the bleak existence of the grey world of ether around you. No sounds not from you are heard in this silent realm, except for a faint, half-whistle, half whisper that is always there, tickling in the back of your mind throughout the journey. The sound is amplified when you dream, growing into an almost headache inducing, pounding sound of mysterious voices chorusing through your sleeping thoughts, pervading your rest and making it fitful.

As for your captain, Despario has made no sound throughout the journey, preferring to keep a silence respectful of this strange and deadly plane. His brown face is cast in a serious and stern way eternally, his eyes almost unblinking, unsleeping in their focus. He has not spoken to any of you, and during the so far uneventful journey, you all had a quite a laugh imagining what his voice sounded like, using various hilarious tones. That joy faded quickly though, as it allows does, for the oppresive fog still bears down on you, and even though it never quite reaches you, you feel as though it is wrapping around you, squeezing all life and joy from your soul.

On the second, or third day, you can't quite tell, considering time is immaterial here, you find yourself sitting in silence, the dull mist of the plane whirling past in a blur of energy. Tendrils of magic every so often reach out tentatively, before being blasted back in a small shower of auburn sparks with a sound akin to the hissing of steam as water is poured on a campfire. These crackling sparks sometimes startle those of you who lack awareness, but never nothing more. The shield is firm, and you feel safe from these tendrils, though the oppressive nature of the plane presses down upon your psyche in a depressing way. 

As the singular, and yet multifaceted sound of the whispering voices continues to fill your head, and the cold chill of the air sends goosebumps along your flesh, making your skin feel cold and clammy, your eyes flash forward, catching something in the distance. A faint red pulsing glow is ahead, only a mere small speck in the endless gray. It pulses, then begins to fade, until the gray has once more swallowed the crimson whole and you think you must have imagined it. You watch the distance, but it does not reappear. Despario seems to have not noticed, and if he did, he seems unconcerned.

What are you doing and thinking in this moment, as you settle back into your various ways to pass the journey through the Ethereal Plane?

Arcturus explores what he can of the strange vessel. Given Despario's quiet temperament he tries to avoid disturbing the man, though he looks in on him consistently. As he looks around he will investigate any hatches, access ports, containers, or items of note. He is discreet and does not take anything. His purpose is only to gain a better understanding of his surroundings, including looking for places to hide or areas more - or less - defensible than others. If nothing noteworthy comes from his investigations, he will settle his attention on the habits, mannerisms and personalities of his fellow travelers.

(( Investigation, perception, and insight checks? ))

York is standing at a railing of the ship, gouging small pieces of wood from it with his dagger, and making them glow. He then sends them flying into the grey nothingness surrounding them, whisked away by his invisible mage hand.

While doing this, he is also engaged with one of his favorite past times, contemplation. Contemplation of his life, his past deeds and future actions. That of good and evil, or right and wrong. Heavy thoughts, made heavier by the surrounding landscape.

When he bores of his light show, he will find a place to sit, studying his spell book, knowing that things happen fast when your in the middle of nowhere.

Kaelos stood at the ship’s railing, his silver-gray eyes scanning the swirling mists of the Ethereal Realm.  His hand rested lightly on the hilt of his longsword.

For the past few days, the quiet had loomed over the young man, giving Kaelos far too much time to reflect. His mind wandered to the faces of those who had doubted him — former friends, noble peers, even his own family.

If they were to look at me now, I wonder ... what would they see?   He wasn't sure he liked the answer. 

Though his heart still wrestled with doubt, Kaelos knew one thing: this journey, this mission, was his chance to prove he could be more than what others expected.

Darius looks out into the soul draining mist.  His mind swirling with too many regrets.  ‘My perfect life.  If people only knew how messed up my life really is.  When ever anyone sees me all they see is Lang.  All star track and field, captain of cadets in training.  Except Lonna she seen more in me or at least wanted to.  Why did I care if her great grandfather was less then human, what did it matter?’

your eyes flash forward, catching something in the distance. A faint red pulsing glow is ahead, only a mere small speck in the endless gray. It pulses, then begins to fade, until the gray has once more swallowed the crimson whole…

“Did anyone else see that?”  Darius asks no one in particular.

  Darius Lang

Arcturus, who had been observing his fellow travelers and not the grey beyond the ship, looks to the others to see how they react. 

(( Insight Check 6 to see if Darius is becoming effected by the long and tedious journey ))

Darius is not in fact going crazy, as Arcturus first thinks. For the red spot returns, brighter this time, and growing steadily more intense as you zoom through immaterial smoke. You can't tell if you're moving towards, or its moving towards you, or both, but it is getting bigger and fast. Despario shows no sign of concern, his mouth simply lowering into slightly more of a frown as his hard, grey eyes stare into the void ahead, blank in their deadness, yet surely he is alive, there is no question of that. Surely...

Examining the ship reveals it is as if a 12 sided, geometric shape was cut in half, turned flat-side up, then the crows nest like structure was stuck on top in  the middle. The deck of the ship is almost bare, save for railings so no one falls off, and a circle of benches surrounding the base of the crow's nest where people can sit. A trapdoor on the floor of the ship leads into the bowl shaped bowels of the ship, where your hammocks hang from crystalline hooks of fire opal, as well as your personal effects stored in whatever matter you see fit to store them in. In fact, the whole ship is made from a gleaming fire opal, and the only way it doesn't blind you is the gray of the Ethereal Plane dulls the luster of the ship into a rusty sheen, as if a once bright coin covered by many long years of dust and grime

The spot grows and grows, and something else becomes visible. Within the red aura appears to be a dark, crimson speck, which gradually enlarges into a vaguely humanoid shape, far off in the distant mist. You continue getting closer, and you realize that soon, the thing is going to reach you, as both you and it are still a long ways away, but are traveling at extraordinary speeds towards each other. You have maybe a few seconds, if the figure is indeed something adjacent to a human (or is a human, who knows?) and sized the same. Of course, if it is a giant, you could have a full minute. Either way, time is of the essence!

Srikandi is drowsing against the tower when Darius speaks, she is immediately on her feet.she tries to follow his line of sight but can't make anything out until the shape resolves itself further.

She moved up the ship to be at the forefront, " Any ideas on what that is?"

Creator: Jessica Truscott -Faestock

Arcturus cocks his head to one side, a contemplative gesture in his gaze as he stares at the shape taking form in the grey distance. An idea comes to him, and he moves to Despario. "Captain, are we in danger," he simply asks. 

Darius watches in wonder as space and time seem to create a wonder of acceleration in a plane of endless grey.  Overwhelming I’d assume to a non-veteran ether dweller just another approach and arrival or is it?  Darius scrutinizes the details as they present themselves.

investigation 11

With the concern over the new arrival, Kaelos' self-contemplation came to an end.

He joined the others aboard the top deck of the ethereal gem-ship.  He had been thinking along the similar lines as Arcturus.

"We're able to survive and travel out here only by virtue of a very powerful, very magical ship."  He opined, speaking to no one in particular.

"If this stranger is afloat in the aether without  the benefit of a ship ... they are either very, very lost ... or they are very, very powerful."

The bard cocked his head then as a new thought occurred to him.

"Could be both, I suppose."

York raises his head from his spellbook as the activity picks up on the deck, movement, conversations. etc. 

He puts his book back in his pack with a sigh, b" he mutters to himself.

"Come on Pebbles" he says to his familiar, snoozing next to him on one of the benches surrounding the crow's nest. "Let's see what's going on, hopefully something more interesting then my own arcane scribbles."

Like the others, York is focused on the spot in the distance, one hand resting on the hilt of one of his daggers.

Despairo glances down at Arcturus, his eyes neutral and cold. "No." he replies shortly, turning his attention back to the gloom ahead. You would have though he'd have been more cooperative, but oh well.

As Kaelos's muses on the nature of the rapidly approaching figure, and York rouses his familiar, a strange beast that appears to be a monkey with wings, Darius stares out at the grey and the red growing ever closer. He contemplates the nature of this being in silence, his eyes fixed firmly upon the approaching figure.

And just like that, it is the their. Surrounding by the deadly fog that curls around it, the thing floats level with the ship, unlike anything you have seen before. It is vaguely human shaped, of medium height and build, but it has no skin. Or a body at all. In fact, it seems to composed of crackling red energy, the red aura around it a kind of shield against the encroaching mist, which doesn't seem to be affecting it at all.

It looks up with its featureless head, and something begins to form on its face, if you could even call it that. A dark, void black speck that widens until the face of the thing becomes a gaping whole, from which forth echoes a voice, that booms out in your mind as if rolling thunder, quieting the strange whispers into an almost non-existent lull with its power. "My lord has spoken. Your journey is futile. Turn back" It says, in a voice that is at once a rolling bass and at the same time a piercing soprano.

It raises one arm forwards, palm out, as if to stop you from going any father. It is then you notice that the ship has stopped, and the face of Despario has suddenly become very pale, as he stares at the horrible abomination in silence.

What do you do?

Arcturus looks at Despario with doubt after his reply. As the other man's expressionless face begins to show a level of concern Arcturus gives him a second glance (( Insight Check 5 (nat 1!! ) )). Shaking his head he walks away. 

(( In all his snooping around, did Arcturus locate any anti-ship weapons aboard? Not sure if cannons exist in lore, but scorpions, fire-projectors, ballistae, harpoon throwers, etc.? ))

Mindful of his place in the hierarchy of things — this was, after all the captain's ship, and the bard did not speak for Despario — Kaelos didn't want to make things worse ... but he did want to know more about their predicament.

"We are Shield Wardens."  Kaelos called out, addressing the glowing red being.  "We sail the aether for San Citlan under orders from the Radiant Citadel, oath-sworn and duty bound to see our mission through"

"Name this lord who would turn us away."

Srikandi had never seen the things like outside the conjured smoke-stories of the Boren of her former life, being terrified was probably the smart option but one did not become what one needed to become by cowering.

" No journey is futile, demon. Unless one lacks the wit to learn its lessons."

" Name your Master, and yourself."

" I am Srikandi Bishma, and I demand to know who stands in the way of Citadel business."

York quickly thinks about how to respond, however before he can, Srikandi and Kaelos speak up. Their answers seem acceptable to him, so he just looks back at the floating ... creature?

Darius who had been focused on the being shakes his head as if to dislodge the invasive voice inside, “Foul thing speaks directly into my mind, did you all receive its message?  We can’t be thwarted from our mission, what must we do to continue, what is requested of us bandit?”

The thing stares at you all, and despite it lacking distinct facial features, you can feel the absolute and utter contempt this being feels for you. The void in its face expands and contracts with its heavy, rasping breath, as the next words echo out, rattling in your very being like a cold knife piercing your heart. 

It looks at each of you, or at least turns its head towards towards you in turn, "You think you cannot be thwarted? My master has power you cannot conceive. It would be wise for you to turn back, lest your doom be sealed." It speaks in an almost aloof tone, as if merely reciting the proclamation of some foreign king.

Your captain merely stares, frozen in fear at the strange creature. His lips tremble slightly, sweat beads his brow, frozen, paralyzed by some invisible force. As the creature speaks, faint tendrils of red begin snaking out from the body of the figure, creeping through the mist towards the ship like a prowling cat waiting to strike.

“You have delivered your message, now get your filthy speech from my mind, let us pass or I will strive to destroy you- thing.  Tell me though who is your master?”

Darius prepares himself for whatever forthcoming response…

Intimidation 20