Beyond the Tainted Mire — IC

[Scratcherclaw]

Argan

[SHOW]

As you enter the bedroom again, the door seems to slam shut behind you. It does not budge when you try to open it again. The latch doesn't even turn, but you can spot a bright glow coming from beneath the door, bright enough to partially illuminate the bedroom.

You see Emre sitting upright in bed, staring towards you. He tilts his head and his gaze moves to the door. "The bell tolls. The plane changes. Be ready." The young oracle's eyes glaze over before his body falls backwards again, head into pillow.

You hear voices down the corridor, but you're unable to discern what they're saying. But they call to you from far away.

[Namelessjake]

"I am always ready to face whatever may challenge me," Argan says to himself. He makes his way back over to the door and tries to open it again, curious to find the source of the voices in the corridor.

[Scratcherclaw]

You're awoken suddenly by the loud tolls of a bell. The building shakes with each passing ring, with such intensity that you wonder how the shabby structure is still standing. Argan stands at the room's door, struggling to pull the door open.

CLANG!

An intense light illuminates the room from beneath the door.

CLANG!

The room grows warmer, pleasantly so but on the verge of discomfort.

CLANG!

The world seems to go silent.

The bell ends, and the quakes with it. And the world beyond goes quiet. There's no sign of the storm, the thunder, the rain. No sign of the croaking frogs, the creaking wood, the crackling fire. No sigh of unusual hosts with their usual guests. You feel a strange sense of calm after your interrupted rests.

"Be ready," Emre says, sitting up in his bed again.

The glow subsides and you hear chatter erupting from the halls, unintelligible in an unfamiliar way. Lively, joyous, sweet like a songbird. Then, the jammed door Argan could not open clicks. He swings it open and you notice the corridor has changed. No longer is it a meager wooden hallway. It's bright and warm and of strange construction. The flooring appears to be some kind of crimson fabrics, and the walls decorated in an intricate design of paper and carved wood.

"The plane changes."

Argan

[SHOW]

Peering into the hallway, you see it extends for much further than it had the night prior. The spot two figures further down, likely the source of the voices. Their style of dress is highly unusual, with significantly more clothes that would prove detrimental to life in the swamp. Their backs are turned to you so you're unable to see their faces.

[ratwizard]

"Emre?" Guvenc asks, her voice a strained whisper that ends up shriller than she had intended. "What is happening? Are we... still here? Or is this somewhere else?"

She stands behind Argan, peering down the hall. See, I knew we should never have stayed here. I should trust my instincts next time. A chill tickles her spine as dread seeps into her thoughts. If we get through this, that is...

[Namelessjake]

Argan looks around the corridor, confused as to how it has changed. "Who are you?! What is going on here?" He shouts at the hooded figures, drawing his swords as he does.

[Fialova]

Ravza awakens, terrified of the sounds. She fumbles for her dagger - her only form of protection, a gift from Nejla - and quickly moves behind one of her companions. What is going on? Why did we let them convince us to stay here? This was a bad idea, she thinks, too nervous to hum or even speak.

[BartNL]

What's going on? Is it time for my watch? Egash thinks as he wakes up. Seeing his companions also awake it becomes clear to him there are other forces at work. Wait, this is no good. Egash quickly get's up and hastily starts to gather his things.
"Guvenc, I've a feeling we're not in the Great Swamp anymore."

[FinalTemplar]

Sekil leaps up from his prone position on the bed, looking around the room. "What's going on?" He asked, trying to calm his panicked breathing.

[ratwizard]

"I don't know," Guvenc responds to Sekil, her heart thumping in her chest. Meer tightens around her arm and she draws him close in a protective manner.

"But where else can we be?" she asks Egash, not understanding. "Unless... unless this is a dream."

Guvenc peers down at Meer, before looking about the room with a critical eye. "No. No, this is real. We must truly be elsewhere." But... how? Is this by the power of Avuulamak?

[Scratcherclaw]

"We're here, but not," Emre says to Guvenc in a plain voice. He looks around, face concerned, as he tries to piece together what's occurring. "Like the edge of a dream. At the door between reality and nightmare." He frowns, clutching to his body and staring at the floor. "I think, at least," he mutters.

You begin to hear the gentle chirps of birds from outside. Chatter and music erupts from down the corridor, arriving abruptly from the prior silence. The music is unlike any you've ever heard though. Soothing, melodious, and elegant. And the chatter seems foreign, yet familiar. As if a code waiting to be decoded. Yet still, an air of uneasiness rests over you.

Argan

[SHOW]

The figures stop walking at your shouts. They begin to turn around slowly, almost inhumanly. Their heads are lowered as they finally face you. In an instant, they snap upwards and tilt, leaving you seeing something you did not think was possible.

Their faces look familiar, too familiar. If you didn't know any better, you'd think the taller figure was you, and the smaller Guvenc, albeit with no tattoos and clean faces. They do not speak, but simply grin at you. The taller gives a bow while the shorter a curtsy before they turn again and continue down the hall.

[FinalTemplar]

Sekil slowly stood and tried to perceive the world around him, trying to tell what was real and what wasn't.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

inSITE: 2(1d20) +12 = 14

[Scratcherclaw]

Sekil

[SHOW]

You're unable to discern whether this is a dream or reality. If it is a dream, it's a pretty realistic one, but you're unable to tell regardless. But you can tell that you're real. Or are you? Is any of this really real? But yes, you're real. And to your knowledge, your companions are real too. The rest remains a mystery.

[FinalTemplar]

Sekil began to get lost in the spiral. Did he eat those mushrooms he put aside for later? Did he sleep crooked? Maybe the frog's legs were spiked. Maybe it was because he ate before he went to bed, sometimes the elders warned him not to. That can't be the case, right? This went on for some time before eventually, he snapped out of it. "Shit, friends. This is a stumper."

[ratwizard]

"Listen," Guvenc says quietly, an ear toward the voices. "There are others. They are speaking..."

Meer flicks a tongue, seeming to recognize her intentions. Together the two of them sit in silence for a moment, listening.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Perception to try and discern the language of the people, or anything about what they are saying: 19(1d20) +17 = 36

[Scratcherclaw]

Guvenc

[SHOW]

The language sounds similar to your own but you notice many of the words are unfamiliar to your own pronunciations. The inflection is also significantly different from what you know, more so from other local dialects you've heard. And yet, the distorted parts of the language still seem familiar.

As you listen further, you realize what you're hearing. You realize they're speaking a strange mixture of your own native language and Imardanian. From what words you make out, it seems like incoherent gibberish: random words in a random order with no sense given to what's being said.

[KaraInMontana]

As the evening rolls along, Fay remains quiet as she considers. Is this what outsiders are like? They seem...not what I expected. Perhaps things will be different outside the swamp...

As the others converse before bed, she merely nods along with Ravza's hunch and Guvenc's reading of the book. I'll take a look at the book for myself later. First I need to figure out what is going with the magic of this place. If I consider the sympathetic relationship between the elemental qualities and the primary limitation..., she trails off and becomes lost in her thoughts as the others settle in to sleep.

At the cacophony of the bell and the changes around the group, Fay awakens with a start. At Emre's words, she frowns. "What in the Elder One's name....wait...if this IS a dream, will our magic even work?" Raising her left hand palm-up before her, Fay concentrates briefly

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Fay wants to use Prestidigitation to try creating a blue illusory flower

[Fialova]

As the others begin to awaken as well - all equally as confused as herself - Ravza begins to try to piece together what is happening. These women clearly had a strong presence of magic about their inn. If this place also does, they must be involved.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Arcana to see wtf is going on: 21

[Scratcherclaw]

Fay

[SHOW]

On cue, traces of a blue flower begin to take shape in your hand before its entirety appears. The flower looks just as you expected it to and does not have any out-of-the-ordinary features.

Ravza

[SHOW]

The plain bedroom you stand in does not appear to have any strong concentration of magic. However, the corridor and what lies behind seems to have a powerful magical presence, like an enchantment or illusion of some sort. Notably, you also notice a strong magical presence on you and your companions. It does not seem to be limiting or affecting you in any way that you can perceive, but it differs greatly from the latent arcane energy from your bodies.

[ratwizard]

"I'm not sure, Fay," Guvenc responds with a worried shrug. She listens intently, frustrated at comprehension of the conversations just being a hair away.

"It's like they're speaking nothing. Just empty words, as blank as parchment. I don't... it's so familiar, though."

She begins to creep out of the room and into the hallway, afraid for what she might see.

[KaraInMontana]

As her eyes open, gaze falling upon the illusory flower blooming in her palm, Fay lets out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. As long as I have my mind and my magic, I can get out of any situation

With a sudden glance downward, she frowns. "I was not, Kafa. This is not the time for-" she cuts off as Guvenc moves into the hallway.

"After her! Getting separated in another realm or whatever this place is could have dire consequences," she hisses in an audible whisper to the others before following the other girl into the hall

[Fialova]

"I don't think we're in another realm," Ravza says, as she gets a better sense of the field of magic that surrounds them. "I can't say for sure, but it seems like this might all be... fake. Some sort of illusion, maybe. Or a hallucination?" What would cause this, if not a dream? Something in the food? The air? This is very very weird. As she continues to look around nervously she once more begins to hum to herself, a subconscious coping mechanism that has had to manifest many times recently.

[FinalTemplar]

Sekil would follow behind, trying not to get lost in his thoughts again. Is this a dream? The jury's still out on that one. "I suppose there is... one way to find out." Sekil says, more to himself than anyone else.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Sekil would attempt to use the power Wild Shape to try and turn into a big wolfy boi. Woof Woof.

[BartNL]

Damnit, we need to stay together.
"Slow down, let's not split up." Egash yells as he tries to catch up with Guvenc and the others.

[Scratcherclaw]

As you step into the corridor, you notice the air feels warmer, but staler. Looking toward the right, you see the hall continues much further than it did the prior night. It's difficult to see where the hall even ends, but it surely must have an end somewhere. It's utterly vacant, though. Turning left, the hall is much shorter, appearing to lead to the upper balcony of an atrium. There are stairs leading both upwards and downwards.

"Stick together," Emre echoes quietly, still unsure of the true nature of whatever realm they've found themselves in. Meanwhile, Sekil crouches down and assumes the form of a wolf.

The music and chatter seems to be coming from the atrium, its volume ever-increasing. You hear the floor creak above you, followed by the laughter of young children. A loud cough comes from somewhere down the hall. The world around you slowly grows more alive, more real, but it can't be real, can it? It's becoming increasingly hard to tell. The music below seems to fill you with comfort and a sense of security. But your greater senses also feel dread.

[FinalTemplar]

Sekil, in his new wolf form, would let out a low growl. He would follow the others out of the room, sniffing around. How could I be so foolish? Why did I trust them? Where are those women? He thinks.

[Namelessjake]

"I saw two people that looked like you and me," Argan says to Guvenc as the others join him in the corridor. "They went that way," he says, pointing down the corridor with his sword.

[ratwizard]

Guvenc frowns, uncomfortable with the thought of a doppleganger. "I want to know why, but following them could be walking into a trap." If we haven't already.

[Fialova]

"We've already walked into the trap," Ravza says, remembering the previous evening's conversation, and the eventual decision to stay despite everyone's fears. "We stayed, instead of leaving. The whole place is a trap." She unconscious begins humming more in tune with the music that is playing, rather than one of her usual tunes.

[FinalTemplar]

Sekil stays near the group, looking around the hallway hoping to get a sense of direction.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Perception to see if anything looks especially out of place: 14(1d20) +12 = 26

[BartNL]

Egash covers himself in shadow as he sneaks out of the room, trying to remain out of sight.

Mechanics

[SHOW]

Shadow walk for concealment.
Stealth check to sneak: 16(1d20) +13 = 29

[ratwizard]

"I should expect your protestations the next time we approach one, then," Guvenc breathes to Ravza, remembering how the quiet young woman had little to say during the tense standoff earlier.

Turning to the Sekil and Argan, she nods down the corridor. "Shall we see what's at the end of this trap, then?"

[Namelessjake]

"I don't see any other options," Argan replies to Guvenc. He steps cautiously down the hallway, but gains more confidence after a couple of steps, lengthening his stride and quickening his pace. He still keeps his swords ready though, waiting for the trap to be sprung and the threat to present itself.

[Fialova]

"I didn't know," Ravza responds, frowning as the woman politely scolds her. How could any of us know? The women were strange, but they seemed at least like normal people with some magic. Nothing like this.

[ratwizard]

"It's alright," Guvenc says, giving Ravza an apologetic look. "I had a suspicion and yet I still allowed myself to be convinced to stay. We're all doing this for the first time."

She trails behind Argan, Meer curled around her thigh, her tome at her hip.

[Scratcherclaw]

"Don't fight," Emre mutters, anxiously tracing his eyes between Guvenc and Ravza. None could have predicted this. Not even me...

With a mission and an unhealthy dose of confidence, Argan begins his stride down the hall, heading in the opposite direction of the atrium as he hopes to track down the strange doppelgangers. Guvenc and those who follow trail behind.

The hall periodically has ornate doors along the side, with strange symbols that you recognize as the Imardanian and Tulrissian numerals. Should you try the doors, you find them all to be firmly locked, their knobs not even turning when tried. The hall continues for some time before abruptly ending at a large, reflective sheet of glass: a mirror. Peering into it, you see ghastly versions of yourself with clean faces and dressed in utterly foreign garb. It consists of long, flowing fabrics with intricate weaving and elegant designs unfit for a swamp. You swear you catch your reflection smile at you before it returns to normal within a blink.

The hall continues to your left, opening into a large vestibule with a pair of staircases leading both upwards and downwards. Against the opposing wall are a set of dark leather couches, each flanked by small wooden tables of high craftsmanship. You notice a small ceramic handbell rested on one of them, looking as though it was recently touched.

A long table lies between the set of stairways. On it is a single leather-bound tome titled Hôtel Roland.

Sekil

[SHOW]

The realm you stand in is like nothing you've ever seen before. It's strange, bizarre, and utterly foreign. As a result, everything seems out of place to you. It is so far removed from the swamp you grew up in that it's more difficult to find any similarities than differences from what you're used to. Nothing seems as it should, and you assume you should stay on your guard.

Argan

[SHOW]

The reflections in the mirror are the same as the doppelgangers you saw of yourself and Guvenc.

[FinalTemplar]

Sekil begins to growl softly as he makes his way down the hall, ready to pounce on anyone they see not from their party.

[ratwizard]

Guvenc notes the strange numerals on the doors. I wonder what this is for. Who put these here? What does it mean?

She freezes when she notices her reflection, her eyes locked on her own. The other young woman smiles back faintly, gone in a blink. Wh...What? She appears somehow taller, her long hair pulled into a tight braid and wrapped in a complex weave above her head. Her skin is soft, smooth, and clean. Her dresses are strange... too long to have in a swamp, and hardly tough enough to withstand the wear. But she is... She is beautiful.

Guvenc pulls her eyes from the mirror, cursing for allowing herself to be drawn in in the first place. Following Argan further, she comes to a strange room with another tome. Frowning, she lifts it up gingerly and begins to flip through it, studying the contents.

[Namelessjake]

Argan snarls, seeing the reflections of the group. "They're who I saw before, but there were only two of them," he says. "They weren't reflections then either, they turned and walked away," he clarifies, in case the others assume he only saw himself in a mirror.

He steps back from the book to let the others examine it, keeping watch up the staircases for any movement. He does glance briefly at the bell. What would ringing that do I wonder?

[KaraInMontana]

Fay stares for several moments at the vision of the group as presented in the mysterious mirror, head cocked to one side. "Curious...", she breathes softly before her eyes follow Guvenc and land on the book the other girl is reaching for.

The young witch strides forward, but is unable to peek over the taller girl's shoulder at the text. Puffing her cheeks in a silent pout, Fay instead steps to the side for a view while reaching out with her arcane senses to trace any sources of magic that could indicate dangers or a way out.

Arcana

[SHOW]

10(1d20) +17 = 27

[Scratcherclaw]

Fay

[SHOW]

The air and room all around you are charged with latent magic, from what you're able to sense. The energy around the small bell seems stronger as well, though you don't believe it to be a source of whatever magic is occurring here. You do sense a stronger concentration of magic emanating from a ways below you and radiating outwards and upwards.

Guvenc and others who look at the book

[SHOW]

Opening the book, you find that the text is written large in Imardanian, but you notice a few words of your native language sprinkled within. Flipping through the pages, you notice that every page is the same, for dozens of pages. The same text, the same layout, the same everything. The full text reads:

Bienvenue à l'hôtel Roland

Profitez de çıkarın séjour.

Reposez votre ruhunu fatiguée avec nous.
Vous ne voudrez plus jamais partir!

Faites un tour à notre buffet gastronomique!
Il dolu rempli des meilleurs aliments!

Explorez chaque recoin de l'hôtel!
C'est votre maison autant que la bizim.

Dansez toute la nuit dans notre salle de bal.
Var a rien de tel!

Vous hiç aurez aucun besoin non satisfait.
Notre personnel fidèle répondra à tous vos besoins!

Besoin d'kaçış au stress écrasant?
Notre spa et notre salle de sport vous donneront une sensation de rajeunissement.

Profitez de votre séjour à l'hôtel Roland.
Vous ne voudrez plus jamais dire hoşçakalın.

Full Translation (Imardanian reader eyes only)

[SHOW]

Welcome to Hotel Roland

Enjoy your stay.

Rest your tired soul with us.
You will never want to leave!

Take a trip to our gourmet buffet!
It is filled with the finest foods!

Explore every nook of the hotel!
It is your home as much as ours.

Dance the night away in our ballroom.
There's nothing quite like it!

You'll have no needs go unmet.
Our faithful staff will care for your every need!

Need an escape from overwhelming stress?
Our spa and gym will leave you feeling rejuvenated.

Enjoy your stay at Hotel Roland.
You'll never want to say goodbye.

Just Elder Speech

[SHOW]

Bienvenue à l'hôtel Roland

Profitez de your séjour.

Reposez votre soul fatiguée avec nous.
Vous ne voudrez plus jamais partir!

Faites un tour à notre buffet gastronomique!
Il is rempli des meilleurs aliments!

Explorez chaque recoin de l'hôtel!
C'est votre maison autant que la ours.

Dansez toute la nuit dans notre salle de bal.
There's a rien de tel!

Vous no aurez aucun besoin non satisfait.
Notre personnel fidèle répondra à tous vos besoins!

Besoin d'escape au stress écrasant?
Notre spa et notre salle de sport vous donneront une sensation de rajeunissement.

Profitez de votre séjour à l'hôtel Roland.
Vous ne voudrez plus jamais dire goodbye.

[BartNL]

Egash creeps through the hallway, sticking close to the shadows. This place, it must be real somehow. None of us could have imagined that a place like this exists. As Egash glances in the strange panel he sees his companions all dressed in odd clothes. Between them a handsome young man, who turns his head to meet Egash's gaze and quickly winks and smiles at him before returning to his pose.

Chills run over Egash spine. Who, what, is that... I?

[ratwizard]

"It's... all the same," Guvenc says, flipping once page, then another, then thumbing through several at a time. "It's welcoming us here. It seems to be place for guests to stay, with many luxuries. But why? What does this mean?" She looks up, staring at the bell.

[FinalTemplar]

Sekil keeps watch while the others read the book. He was never very good at it, he's better at reading people.

[Fialova]

Ravza looks around to the doors in confusion, not understanding why such markings would be numbering them. She is even more confused - and alarmed - by the strange figures in the mirror. They are all dressed as colorful as me, and I look to be in even more delicate clothing than now! What sort of vision is this? She looks down at her own attire, noting its dissimilarity from the vision before her, and thinks, how is this reflection not showing our true selves?

When they finally come to the strange book, and Guvenc translate, Ravza has a thought. "Do you think this is what the other travelers we met are experiencing, too?" she asks, remembering the words of one of their hosts. "Are we subjects of their experiments too? Could this be all happening in our minds, and our bodies are in similar mindless dazes?" What sort of magic could cause such a thing, if that is truly what is happening? Why must this pilgrimage be so harrowing?

[Namelessjake]

"Does it say anything about this bell?" Argan asks, making his way over to the bell and picking it up, the bell ringing softly as he moves it.

[ratwizard]

"Perhaps," Guvenc says, frowning at Ravza's keen theorizing. "I hope not. I hope this is nothing more than some bizarre... shared dream." A wave of disgust runs down her back. I shouldn't like to become a toad, either.

Turning to Argan, she purses her lips in curiosity. "Let me check." She cracks the tome open once more to a random page, the message still the same.

"Nothing about a bell, but listen to this part. 'You — no, hold on — you'll have no needs go... unmet. Our... faithful staff, will... care for your... every need.'" She struggles through the translations, but looks up with focused eyes afterwards. "Maybe the bell is to get their attention. Do you think we should ring it?"

[KaraInMontana]

Thinking over Ravza's suggestion, Fay cocks her head. "I don't suppose we can rule it out without a way to observe our bodies outside of this...dream, for lack of a better term. If it is the case, we'll simply have to escape this place in a way they clearly didn't," she says, trying to portray more confidence than she actually feels. "There is a strong magical nexus below us that seems to be radiating power. We may be able to answer more questions about this place by observing it."

The young witch turns toward Argan and points directly at the bell. "That...is certainly magical as well, though not strongly when compared to what lies below. It may summon someone or something or perhaps ringing it will simply produce some sort of resonating effect elsewhere to alert the denizens of this place to our call. While I can't say for certain what will happen, I would hazard to guess that ringing it would produce company, one way or another. I suppose there's one way to find out, but we ought to consider that it may be best to move about unnoticed until we know more. Of course...some may favor a less subtle approach..."

[Fialova]

"How do you think we get below to visit this nexus?" Ravza asks, a bit alarmed to learn of such a thing. "Do you think if we do ring the bell, whoever shows up might be able to tell us? Or even lead us there?" What would we even do at if we found it? Find some way to break it?

[ratwizard]

"They may be friend or foe," Guvenc answers Ravza. "It's a gamble to find out which, and I'd rather not bet our lives. At least not yet."

She peers about the chamber. "We should focus on finding a way deeper, to the nexus Fay mentioned. That stairwell down is a good start. Argan, are you ready?"

[Namelessjake]

"Always," Argan replies calmly, making his way over to the stairwell mentioned by Guvenc. Swords at the ready, he begins making his way down the steps.