Tess in the Cage *1027/01/20* ================ Hall of Records, enquiring about gates ====================================== Tess is at the Hall of Records, at an appointment to enquire about registered gates. There is a female centaur at the desk. Permanent gates to Mount Celestia: - the Jesters Court in the Lady's ward (a meeting place, so dress well) - the Trioptic Nic'epona (restricted for official business only) - the Mortuary, which is the faction headquarters of the Dustmen. Gate to the Astral: - Athar's gate to the Astral. The Athar know the key. It's a fragment of a hymn apparently, which appeals to their sense of humor. The Athar are also called the lost - professional pessimists. Other gates to the prime: - Gate of the Clueless. Leads directly to the prime, but not necessarily anywhere near where you want to go. No key required. Gates to Darokin: - via Mechanus, with known key. In the foundry, lower ward. It's in the headquarters of the Godsmen. They know the key. - there is a gate to Darokin at the Trioptic Nic'epona, but the command phrase is not publically known The Hall of Records has no information about planar gates permitting time travel in a forwards of backwards direction. Bars in the Cage ================ - the Fortune's Wheel (a very upscale place) - the Black Sails (a bit of a dive - Turia's old hangout) - the Golden Bariaur Inn (a celestial hangout) - the Jester's Palace (a place for the rich and those in the "cross trade"). Saja conversation at Black Sail: ================================ Black Sails is right next to the armoury, which has spiny bits and blades jutting out of the walls. Black Sails has a motley crown of humans and others. A tiefling, Saja Splitterblade, is working the bar, who says, "Turia isn't in at the moment. Hasn't come back since she made up with her hubby." Saja has small horns, but no wings and is not particularly attractive. Saja's comment on the Triopic, "(talk to) Triona. The doomguards have it sewn up tighter than a guv'ners arse too. Pretty though." Triona is up by the Hall of Speakers. Clerk's Ward, where the Hall of Records is. (Zactars) Saja: "Haven't heard much I'm 'fraid, some kind of new religion. Hey, weren't you in that? You should know the dark of it better than I do. [..] Yeah well, don't know much. The factols all went a'courtin, but nothing else seems to have happened. I think their building their power base. Making friends, doing deals, that kinda thing." Triona ====== 200' tall horse statue with three large gem eyes. People milling around it. 3 square platforms at the base. The platforms are made of a giant single flat gem. Statue is made of chunks of azurite and onyx. Circle of grim people with swords and throwing axes surround the statue - probably Doomguard. Triona is the horse. Triona is the locals name for it, it is a creature called Nic'Epona. The doomguard encircle Triona, and noone is inside the circle. Tess decides to come back at night to chat to Triona. Golden Bariaur Inn ================== Soothing music, sudued lights, and heavenly smelling food dishes. Most of the clientel are celestials. The door arden is a golden maned bariaur. (Mount Celestia) Patron: "Mount Celestia is the height of all that is good and holy. Some of the people at the Golden Bariaur offer to take you there. Time passes at the same speed as in the prime." They know nothing about Alamir or the Blessed Radiance. (about someone deciding to worship Nyx) "It is likely that being burdened with such an overwhelming darkness would lead one to turn to the dark for comfort." (Zactars) They seem to have mixed opinions on the matter. Some say it's a religion, some say it's a cult. All don't know who the deity is. Tess: "The dark powers gave a mortal the gift of coming back ... what would it take to undo that?" Patrons: "Anti-magic is unlikely to work at all. It's no longer magical once they have returned. Either by light or dark powers." Tess: "What would it take to kill them permanently?" Patron: "Hmmm, I'm sorry, this is beyond my ken. Normally you need some kind of special material or weapon to prevent such from returning to life again, maybe this is what you need?" Tess: "I believe another mortal was attempting to make such a weapon. However, the weapon was not completed, well not fully anyway. How would I find out what special material or weapon would work?" Patron: "If it were to be completed ... If it is a particular individual, with his own vulnerabilities, it will not be easy." Patron: "The dustmen may have a list (of everyone who dies). Hades will most likely have such a list as well." Hades' list may include where the dead go. "Hades is touchy. He does not welcome contact between the dead and the living. [..] You may be better speaking with a powerful priest, of Hades or not, who can help you find information." Tess: "Would Hades be irritated at someone evading their natural death? Repeatedly ...?" Patron: "Hades would be quite irritated, yes." Tess: "Are there any temples of Hades in the Cage?" Patron: "Not that I am aware of, although you may find a wandering priest. Or you could see the dustmen. [..] May I suggest you seek a more enlightened faith for your religious needs?" Tess: "I believe there are a number of deities that deal with many aspects of our universe. I do actively involve myself with Koryis and others where appropriate. Though my path is not a peaceful one generally. (Sadly.)" Patron: "Korysis is a good deity to follow. I commend you on your strength of character for doing so. Sadly perhaps, I tend to the more martial persuits myself." Tess nodded and kept his mind blank. Mortuary ======== Dustman: "We all die, sooner or later. There is no life after death, it is all a lie." After enquiry about Alamir's death, they flip through a massive black bound book. "I'm sorry, we have no such record of this person dying. We do record all deaths, so maybe they died alone in a gutter somewhere?" Tess: "Would Hades have more complete records?" Dustman: "He might." There is a gate to Mount Celestia in the Mortuary. It is one way. The key is signing on the wall, "Living is a hard habit to break." Dustman: "No cost. We let all go to whatever end they feel they will go to. The sign? It is a tenet of our existance." The dustman is a priest of Hades Tess: "How does one make a more detailed enquire with Hades, such as via a priest of Hades, about whether someone is dead? I'm trying to make sure someone who keeps reappearing after their death stays dead." Dustman: "The dustman says: It is possible for a powerful priest to prevent someone from returning to life, or death, by trapping their soul and delivering it to Hades. An archmage could do similar." Tess: "And if divine powers have intervened to give them the ability to keep returning? what then?" Dustman: "That would depend how much the divine power was willing to interceed. With their soul, they could not return even with divine intervention. Unless you can't find their soul." Tess: "Hmmm, ah yes, some people can hide their soul right?" Dustman: "Such as liches, yes. Soul creatures who deny the natural order of death." Tess: "Can a mortal hide their soul?" Dustman: "It's possible to do so. My lord frowns on on this." Tess: "[..] Basically, I need to talk to Alamir to ensure the guy who keeps coming back can't any more. So maybe some spell to talk with dead would do it too." Dustman: "That I can do. [..] I need his corpse to do that." Tess: "Is there anyway to double-check if he's dead?" Dustman: "I can perform a divination to determine this, for a suitable fee. [..] 500 gold will do."