68. Beware the Bells

7th Sypheros, 999 YK (5/12/993 FTC)

Nim gives a very short and sweet recap: "We're in Vralkast, the end"
Ell gives a more in-depth one.
I'll give em both a hero point cos I'm chill like that
They reiterate their desire to visit The Eighth, but only Bhaltair knows how they can get there
They haven't told the others. They also can't do it tonight.
They'll get tattoos tomorrow

8th Sypheros, 999 YK (6/12/993 FTC)

They go to get tattoos from Lesss, the Inkmaven
Even though they've had like 3 months to discuss who is getting what tattoo, they hadn't made a decision on who was getting the free one or which one that should actually be. So we're doing it now.
Runmae wants either the Soaring Wings or Wyrm on the Wing tattoos, they both do the same thing more or less but with a tradeoff. Slower, more sustained flight vs faster flight for less time
Bhaltair wants the Open Mind tattoo, which is the most expensive one.
Warren was thinking about getting a tattoo, but is more interested now in the Chimeramancy
They start counting out how much bonegeld they actually have
They have 2147 bonegeld between them, which is enough for 3 tattoos (including the free one)
They also have stuff they can sell, potentially, if they need more
They get 2 soaring wings (one for Runmae and one for Valaari), and Bhaltair gets the Open Mind tattoo.
Naze throws a spanner in the works by saying he's also interested in getting a tattoo
Getting those three tattoos leaves them with 647 geld (plus the option of selling stuff to get more)
After they explore the Eighth, they'll do some training in the city to learn new skills. Naze is looking at learning Chimeramancy, so he can get recipes and make the stuff for Warren.
I remind everyone that if anyone wants grafts, Slippery Guillermo has them all (and the gills are free)
"Just because it's free doesn't mean we should take it"
"I'm not getting gills from the fucking pervert"
Valaari, Runmae, and Warren spend all of their geld on the tattoos, and Bhaltair has to provide 325 bg.
Bhaltair getting the tattoo for free was that they would allow Lesss to petrify the ink, giving it an obsidian sheen, but this has risk.
Bhaltair gets the Open Mind tattoo, which looks like a stylized eye, on their right cheek (where the moth mask usually goes). Lesss then petrifies the ink, and though it numbs Bhaltair's face for several minutes, her control is good, and it leaves them with an obsidian tattoo.
All according to plan. Bhaltair emerges from the studio with their hand over their face, putting on a limp, to show the others.
"I thought it was going on your face, not your ass, why are you limping?" - Runmae
"I'm in a bit of pain" - Bhaltair
"Is he meant to be like that?" - Warren
"That's not normally how it goes" - Runmae
"She said to come back out and there might be something wrong with my face" - Bhaltair
"Are you in pain?" - Valaari
"No, I'm fine! Look!" - Bhaltair
Runmae says "nice work kid" and Bhaltair goes "yeah I did brilliantly"
They didn't get petrified!
and y'know it's a magic tattoo
Bhaltair asks if anyone wants to learn about anything right now?
Valaari says "the Eighth"
lmao
Bhaltair activates the tattoo, and can instantly make 6 recall knowledge checks. Here we go!
"What do I understand about how the Eighth seems to be functioning? Is it a manifest zone?"
They learn that the Eighth is a demiplane. That's weird, because it used to be a district, and they've never heard of a new demiplane forming in Khyber
"Can I learn any of the properties of the demiplane?"
No, not a good enough roll
"I understood this demiplane to be moving/encroaching on things. Is it breaching? Actively moving?"
They know that the Eighth is encroaching on Vralkast, but also in other places. It is expanding, and constantly seeking to subsume more locations into itself.
"Is that normal behaviour for a demiplane?"
It is not, but every demiplane is unique and has their own rules. It's possible that this is just part of what The Eighth does.
"What other places has the Eighth interacted with?"
Roll not sufficient
One question to go
"When it subsumes, does it take everything and make more of itself, or does it incorporate them into itself so it's like a mishmash of places?"
It incorporates the places it consumes, so it is a mishmash of different places
Fascinating
They discuss whether to get Warren a graft now, or to wait until after Naze has learned how to do it. It'll be cheaper for Naze to do it, but it'll mean waiting a while.
There's also a concern that Warren may get discovered as a rat, especially if he gets a tail (which is what he wants). They don't like rats in Vralkast.
Bhaltair has still not informed anyone that they have a way to get into the Eighth.
They're just gonna do it without speaking to the others first.
They go to bed, and Bhaltair summons the Liminal Doorway for them to rest in.
Runmae asks Bhaltair if they're sure the Stoneseers won't be checking in on them this time? Is there a wall they can use that won't get their attention?
"Sure I can use a different wall, pick a wall!"
Runmae picks a wall on a random house, and they do it there instead.
They enter the space, and that same creaking noise as the other night is still present.
Runmae says to shut it down, they can't sleep here. They've got the network in the houses too
"No it's fine, we just wait, they're just checking in on us"
"I don't believe you"
Valaari asks what Runmae is worried about?
"Don't you think it was a little weird?"
"Everything's weird here"
"It's like I said, they just said they'd be checking in and that was the weird thing that happened"
Runmae does a Sense Motive check on Bhaltair
Warren does a Sense Motive check on Runmae
Naze does a Sense Motive check on Warren
They all critically succeed
Bhaltair is lying so obviously, it's unreal
lil pinocchio motherfucker
"Come on kid, you're holding something back. What is it?"
"What do you mean? I'm not holding anything back, I've put my bedroll on the ground and I don't even need a bedroll"
"Why are you insisting on this? What do you know? What aren't you telling us?"
"It was meant to be a surprise, Runmae!"
"I don't like surprises in strange places"
"We were all gonna go to sleep, and wake up in a magical place we all get to explore!"
"You're gonna take us somewhere?"
"Yeah"
"Where?"
"I can't really say where it is, as I don't really know"
Valaari comments that Bhaltair is playing with them, what are they planning?
"For us to go to sleep, and get transported to a different place."
"What place?"
"The Eighth"
"You know how to get into the Eighth?"
"I hope so. I've been told so"
"By who?"
"The Stoneseers?"
They grill them on why they lied about it.
"Last time this happened, you said we'd never use that spell again here. I saw an opportunity"
Valaari says they don't work this way, if they want to make a decision, they do so as a group. Bhaltair is putting all of them in danger.
"But you said that you wanted to go to the Eighth!"
"Yes, but you can't make that decision without us knowing about it"
"But people surprise each other all the time!"
"Not with things this dangerous!"
"But it's perfectly safe!"
"Everything we've learned about it says otherwise! To be honest, I'm disappointed that you'd do this"
Bhaltair is surprised they got away with it for so long, to be honest
"Because I trust you, and you've abused that trust!"
Bhaltair just wanted to do something nice for everyone!
"The fact you don't realise how bad this is is concerning, actually. I need you to sit down and think about what you've done."
"So we're not leaving?"
"Not leaving what?"
"The liminal space!"
"No"
"So we are going to the Eighth!"
"Yes but that's besides the point, that's not the issue! The issue is that you didn't tell us, we couldn't prepare for it. You didn't allow us to do that, and that's why I'm so mad at you"
"You're mad at me?"
"Yes. I'm not joking. Sit in the corner and think about what you've done"
Valaari turns to the rest of the group. "Okay, this is going to be dangerous, but we have an opportunity here to explore a place that barely anyone knows anything about."
Runmae points out that nobody knows how to get out of the Eighth, either, though.
Valaari believes in them, and trusted most of them (until now)
Warren says he didn't know they cared
Valaari blinks
Runmae agrees that they should go in prepared. They did learn a lot today.
"See I was preparing you!"
"Shut up."
Runmae asks again if they're sure this is worth it?
Valaari says that apparently this place connects to other places, who knows where they could end up. Also, if the Eighth is a demiplane, it'll be useful for them to map it and find out where else it could lead on Eberron.
As far as they can tell, it'll be difficult to get Vralkast to not open their doors to the Carrion Tribes if they show up. Their whole deal is that the city is a sanctuary, so there's a possibility that the Tribes find a way out via the Eighth.
Runmae says that she dove in blind once before (into the Labyrinth), and it was possibly the worst decision of her life.
She talks herself into it. "Fuck me with a rusty rake, let's do it"
"What? Why would I do that?"
Bhaltair, in time out by the door, is the only one noticing that the creaking noise is getting louder.
Runmae says it's a figure of speech
Valaari goes on about how they've explored possibly more than anyone in the Ghaash'kala, they've been to so many demiplanes. Their mission currently is to map as much as they can. If anyone can figure a way out of this mysterious eighth district, maybe it's us!
They won't force anyone to go, though. If Runmae wants to stay behind, Valaari will allow it.
"I'm not going to let you go into a dangerous magical nonsense place alone. I don't leave my team behind."
Naze is like "wait was that an option?"
Valaari confirms that it is, for any of them. They understand they're pushing the boundaries of their mandate, but they think it's worth it. They're not going to force any of them, though.
Warren goes to sleep. Valaari will kick him when "it happens"
"You people are fucking crazy" comments Runmae, but she hunkers down.
Bhaltair keeps making comments, and Valaari keeps telling them to shut up. "Behave or when we return to Maruk Dar, I'll kick you out of the squad"
"You'd get nowhere without me!"
"I don't like this insubordination."
"I'm following your lead!"
Reality breaks as the Eighth finds them, mid argument, and pulls them into itself. Description below.
Bhaltair asks if they can use their spyglass? Permission granted.
Bhaltair looks at the other group, and confirms it is them, but there's a minotaur with them that they don't recognise. The other Bhaltair is looking at them via their spyglass too.
Other Runmae gives a sigh and puts her hand around the haft of her hammer.
Other Valaari just stands and stares, looking scary
Other Naze does a little jig, and Other Zaphy joins in
Other Warren is picking dirt out of his fingernails using his starknife
The minotaur is speaking to the Other Bhaltair, who answers. All looking at the party.
Bhaltair Prime doesn't communicate what they're seeing, just goes "oh" and copies Other Naze's little jig
"I didn't know you could do that, Naze"
"What? I didn't know I could either"
Runmae asks what the fuck is going on?
"It's us"
Valaari tries to determine if it's an illusion, but can't. "Be careful, this is most likely an illusion or some deception"
Bhaltair moves to the right, and the Other Bhaltair does too. Hmm.
The minotaur then says something to the Other Bhaltair, pointing at something, and then Other Valaari moves them on. Bhaltair can't see what they were looking at.
Bhaltair says they're moving on. Do they want to try and meet up with them?
Runmae isn't sure, she read a book about this once. You shouldn't interact with yourself if you meet yourself from the past or future?
"Is that what that is?"
Valaari tries to do an Esoteric Lore check to find out what the properties of the plane are, or what plane they're in, but is unable to determine.
They ask Bhaltair to try. They learn some of the properties of the demiplane.
Time is inconsistent within the Eighth, it flows erratically. Time spent on Eberron does not map to time spent in the Eighth, and time behaves "weird as hell" within it, too.
Bhaltair theorises then that the other group is their future? Or their past?
"But who was the minotaur?"
They don't know
"Well, we're here now, time to investigate"
Warren thinks it would be cool to speak to himself, get an outside perspective
"That's weirdly deep for you, Warren"
Bhaltair isn't sure that's possible, either, since they'll be following themselves.
Valaari says it depends if it's actually their future selves? It could still be an illusion, or something else entirely.
Warren asks if they think it's possible to fuck an illusion?
Valaari does not answer the question, but moves them on.
Runmae asks why that was where his mind went?
He panicked because he was being too deep and had to fuck it up
"This is why we're so surprised when you get deep!"
They head in the direction that they think will lead them to their potential future selves, but it's a maze that's always changing so who knows where the fuck they'll end up
Runmae attempts to navigate the maze, with Bhaltair's aid. Bhaltair also opens their senses to detect portals, but they find none. There are no portals in the Eighth.
Ah, this is where the campaign ends.
Runmae is doing a good job of navigating, but the Eighth keeps readjusting around them. They return to a street they've already passed, but there's now a crowd of minotaurs slumped against the walls. Thin, and aged, as if ravaged by time itself.
They approach, carefully.
The only clue that these people are alive is their eyes. Those eyes are so alive, so vibrant, and so desperate. They otherwise don't move, at all, it's just their eyes.
Valaari tries to speak to them, in every language they know. No response.
They ask if anyone else can try?
Bhaltair suggests Naze should check them over.
None of them get a response, but the minotaurs do look at whoever is speaking. Just with their eyes though, their heads don't move.
Naze checks them over, and determines that all of them are impossibly old. Their bodies have withered to basically nothing. None of them should still be alive, everything would have failed. They can't move or speak because their muscles have atrophied beyond the point of use.
How fucking horrifying
Valaari asks if anyone has the means to communicate telepathically?
Naze knows Message, but it requires being able to move their lips. They won't be able to reply.
Warren takes out some paper, and writes "NO" and one, and "YES" on the other, and gives "NO" to Runmae, and "YES" to Valaari. (Old Common)
"Now they can just look!"
Valaari says they probably won't speak Old Common, they'll need to write it in Dwarvish or Giant
Runmae writes out the same in Dwarvish
Valaari then asks Runmae to explain what Warren wants to do. If they understand, look at the YES sign.
The one she's talking to looks at YES
"Ask them if they're from Vralkast"
YES
gasp
Naze asks her to ask what they're favourite colour is?
"They can only answer yes or no you moron"
The only question Valaari can think of is "do you want us to put you out of your misery?"
Warren wants to ask if they know a way out, but Valaari says if they did they probably wouldn't be here
"Look at them though, they're at least 50!"
FIFTY!?
Naze suggests they can try to narrow down how long they've been here by asking multiple questions? But time is fucky here, perspective is weird
Runmae wonders about asking if something did this to them? Tricky, they might say yes and it could just be the district.
Maybe ask if it was a creature?
They do so. They get conflicting answers, some of the minotaurs look at YES, others at NO
hmm
Naze suggests asking if they were all in the same group? or if they all traveled here together?
Runmae asks both questions, one after the other
YES to both
"Are there others besides you?"
YES
Naze suggests asking if there is a danger in here? Did they get stuck by accident?
Valaari is also curious why they aren't dead?
Runmae asks if they're what they would consider alive. Those that can make eye contact with her, letting her see the desperation. None answer concretely.
Valaari counts them, there's 13 of them, spread around the street.
Runmae theorises that this doesn't seem like it was a sudden thing, it's like they just gave up and waited to die. But they didn't.
Valaari asks Runmae to ask several questions
"Tell them I'm trying to identify topics they can tell us about. Ask if there's something we need to know?"
Some look at YES, others just look at Runmae
"Is this about a way to escape?"
Unclear, they look at Runmae
"About how you ended up like this?"
Some look at YES, some look at Runmae
"Have your bodies been failing over time?"
YES
"Was it a quick process?"
NO
"Do you have food in the distrct?"
Some look at YES, others at NO
"Have you tried to kill yourselves?"
Some look at YES, others at NO
"Does the district bring you back to life?"
NO
"Does someone bring you back to life?"
NO
"Is it because you just cannot die?"
YES
Okay, that makes sense.
"Do you know if there ever was a way out of this place?"
YES
"Is the way out gone?"
YES
"DId others escape, before the way out disappeared?"
YES
Hmm, have they heard about that?
Bhaltair thinks they remember stories of people getting out. Also, there was that minotaur on The Break that got swallowed.
Is one of these that one, actually?
No
Bhaltair asks if they've seen them before? Runmae does so
NO
"Are you joined with the stone?"
Some look at NO and some look at Runmae
Bhaltair attempts to cast Sending on one of them, one of the ones that said YES to "is there something we need to know?".
"What is it we needed to know? You have 25 words."
They use up their entire allotment of words repeating "BEWARE THE BELLS"
Bhaltair passes that on. Okay.
Bhaltair casts Status on one of them, and confirms they're affected by "old age". They've been here long past their natural lifespans, even their belongings have rotted away to nothing.
Valaari ponders that if the other selves weren't an illusion, if they were real, then this could be a propert of the plane. Whatever traps people here, this could be something that happens all the time, or it could be something related to the bells? It may not be an effect of the whole district.
They ask the minotaurs if there's any way they can help them?
Some look at YES, others at NO
"Do you know of a cure?"
NO
"Is the way that you want help an end?"
Some say YES, some say NO
Bhaltair makes a Recall Knowledge check to determine the nature of the magic effecting them? Naze tries too
Naze then remembers he has Detect Magic
Neither of them can detect any magic affecting them. At least nothing detectable.
They go round and ask each one directly, and wait for an answer. They then ask again to confirm.
Naze tries to make it something of a ceremony, to try and comfort them as much as possible.
Bhaltair has the idea to see if there's any spirits around, to consult them? They can only do it once though.
They attempt to contact the spirits of the plane, and they make contact with something. It tries to communicate with them, but it's so alien that Bhaltair takes 48 mental damage and becomes Confused for 3 rounds. They just start spasming on the floor, sap leaking from their nose and ear.
That's never happened before.
Naze checks them over. Bhaltair is incoherent, but Naze can't find anything wrong with them. They come around after about 30 seconds.
Valaari asks fi they're okay? "I think so...that hurt"
"What happened?"
Warren asks if the Bells got them?
"The spirits here are different. But they are here."
"Have you ever experienced this before?"
"No. They're...different. I don't know how to explain it, they're just odd."
"Do you have any theories?"
"I'm only just coming to terms with what just happened, so not yet. I can try to figure it out."
They did ask their question whilst they were having the seizure. "What do the Bells signify?"
The spirits did answer, but Bhaltair didn't understand it. They sit down and dwell on it, trying to theorise.
"Whatever happened, the information they gave me was painful to receive."
Runmae goes "hmm"
Naze spends 10 minutes trying to tend to Bhaltair's damage, but it's hard with it being mental. Bhaltair casts a Garden of Healing, which has a calming effect.
While they do this, the others go round the minotaurs and take care of those that want to be. There's no reaction from them.
Bhaltair spends an hour trying to decipher the message, and manages to narrow it down to a warning about "The Hounds".
Valaari gets a flash of insight from their special friend, but it's not super useful. "The Hounds of Tindalos"
That means nothing to them. Bhaltair thinks they should move on. Try to catch up with the Others.
They travel, and Runmae tries to navigate but it's just impossible. The district restructures itself around them. It's frustrating. They have no choice but to just wander, though, they don't have a known destination.
They pass through many different streets, with different architectural styles. Of note were a Dhakaani street, and a street with crystalline buildings that light up as they approach. Weird.
Back in Vralkastian streets, they hear the clanging of a bell. Then another. And another. And another.
They all hide in the nearest building.
The bells clang every few minutes, and after a while the sounds are joined by a tick-tocking noise, like a clock.
They remain in the building.
The bells continue, and they seem to get closer every time. They debate whether to stay where they are, or try to escape. But that means going out into the street, and they have no control over the battlefield. The streets keep moving around them.
Can they even outrun the Hounds?
They rapidly have a vote, all stressed out of their gourds. Hide or flee?
Warren votes hide, yes-yes
Runmae votes fight, which wasn't an option
Valaari votes hide
Naze votes "eugh ahh flee"
Bhaltair votes hide
They wait, and there's a long period of silence between the last clanging of the bells. Long enough for them to stew in their anxiety, and then the final clanging is inside the room with them, and reality tears apart as things appear in the room. Description below!

Description of the Eighth

With a sound like metal tearing, the walls of the liminal space are wrenched aside as your reality collapses. The world becomes a kaleidoscope of colours and sounds for several seconds, and then you find yourselves on what appears to be a deserted street in Vralkast. It's not a ruin, but there's nobody here, it's like the city was just suddenly abandoned.

That same creaking you could hear in the liminal space is present here, and looking around, the streets seem to fold back on themselves in all directions, horizontally and vertically, stretching up int othe sky like some abstract painting brought to life. You can see streets in the distance that are moving, restructuring around each other.

On one such vertical street, far away, you can see 8 figures that are looking back at you. They look an awful lot like you, though they're too far away to really see them in any detail. There's also an extra figure with them that isn't with you, a minotaur.

You've heard the term "maze incident" used to refer to the movement of the Eighth, and now that you've found yourselves within the district, it's easy to see why. The whole place is a multidimensional maze, stretching out in all directions as far as your eyes can see, and it's trippy as hell.

The Hounds

With a final clanging of the bells, there's a distortion in reality as holes tear open around you and reveal what's been hunting you. Quadrapedal, for the most part, with armoured, spiked skin and limbs that end in inconsistent arrangements of wicked looking claws that rhythmically tap against the stone, creating that tick-tock sound you've been hearing.

Where you'd expect to see a head varies on each of the creatures. One has a cluster of fanged tentacles dotted with strange lights along their length that are twisted into a gross approximation of a dog's head. Another seemingly has three fish-like heads fighting for the same position in temporal space, phasing in and out of each other, with one of them just being a skull. Another has a carapaced, insect-like visage with a nevertheless dog-like jaw, mandibles clicking against its teeth and a tongue that has another, smaller mouth at the end, and the final hound looks like it has a metallic carapace with a reptilian head and bulbous, oversized eyes.