The Threshold IC (D&D E6, low-op, story based)

[Kaptin Keen]

Dawn breaks. You crawl out of the hay, and do whatever morning rituals you prefer - then talk to Tobias and his parents about hiring someone to mind the stall while you go through the portal. They come up with three suggestions.

After getting ready, you set off to the bazaar. Your stall is where you left it, Arngren is in his usual spot across the way. He greets you, still looking tired.

A bit down the road (using the term loosely) stands the portal: Some ancient stone arch, masonry from some forgotten age. The keystone has fallen out and the very tip of the arch tumbled ages ago - those stones litter the ground under the arch, but are long mostly covered by the soil.

Every now and then, someone will pass through. You see a strange floating creature drift through into Sigil, it's long tentacles dragging along the ground - and another thing emerges, a crystaline giant that looks around, utterly unimpressed, and lumbers off towards the west paying only minimal attention to it's surroundings.

[Newcomer]

After helping the group to acquire some goods for sale, Hawk returns to his Pa's house for the night. He rejoins the group in the morning as they set out. The strange creatures passing through the portal remind Hawk that it's an utterly foreign world on the other side, and he starts to feel just a little uneasy about their plans.

[jamieth]

Alya, on the other hand, was - well, a bit scared, too, but at the same time utterly excited about the idea. "So, what are we waiting for! Let's go already! Oh, wait, one moment..." she ties an end of the rope around her waist, "NOW, let's go - how does that rhyme goes..." and she bravely steps into the portal

[Kaptin Keen]

The portal opens as swirling blue light. There is a thrumming sound, a sort of resonance you feel in your bones and, somehow, in your souls. As Ayla steps through, it closes behind her - cutting the rope perfectly, snip!

Spoiler: OOC - Ayla

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I'll get back to you - but I'm guessing the others aren't far behind. If they dally, we'll see.

[WalkingTheShade]

Jon is clearly impressed by the giant, not able to take his eyes from him. When he turns back Ayla has already passed through the portal. "But..."

Jon looks at the cut rope, then at the portal, then at the cut rope again, before turning to the other: "huh, friends, I'm not 'fraid at all. Do we have t'go... I mean, do we really have t'go, now? I mean, maybe we wait 'till t'girl comes back? Right?"

[Woggle]

Bobin picks up the severed end of rope and looks at it closely, not really expecting to gain any new knowledge. It's just a rope, after all. He's certainly apprehensive about crossing over, but at the same time he doesn't see any real way around it. I guess we should have asked Fael about coming back... a little late now.

He turns to Jon as the young man speaks. "Perhaps, if you or the others want to wait, you could ask one of the individuals coming through about how the portal works from the far side, but I don't think we should leave Alya completely alone. Bobin steps forward, saying over his shoulder as he steps through the portal: "Wish me lu--"

[WalkingTheShade]

"Wait kid!" Jon rushes in after Bobin, but too late, and isn't transported anywhere. "He's right, can't leave 'em alone, not nice leavin' them."
Jon whistles the tune, holding with one hand a red rag he got from Tobin's mother and attached as a scarf (with the other half of it around Toby the dog's neck). "Come Toby!"

Spoiler: OoC

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Toby the dog can't whistle, does he get to the other side?

[Kaptin Keen]

Alya steps through the portal. There is no sense of movement, she just ... was in one place, and now is in another.

She tilts sideways, a bit, before her eyes and feet come to something resembling a concensus. Sigil is sideways. While her brain is still working on that, she stares - dumbfounded - at the city in the sky, slowly realising it's the city she is in. It curves around across the sky, from where she stands, up, up and around, to return to her. A sideways, circular city.

Also, it orbits an impossible mountain, but all in all that's the least impressive thing.

Slowly, her gaze draws in, seeing finally what is right around her. A garden. Or ... something. Definitely, there are a lot of trees and bushes here. Or ... is it a single tree/bush thing that's just ... all over the place.

The plant(s) grow into shapes. Ayla is immediately sure of this. This isn't pruning or gardening. The shapes - statues, for want of a better word - are all around her, and they are entirely natural. Elegant, beautiful, green. And it's clear that they all have some sort of significance. They all have the immediate impression of being religious - men and women (and all sorts of other things) holding symbols and implements, scales and swords and bushels and bows and purses and plows.

A green-skinned, decidedly female being is looking straight at her, saying hello? with the tone of having said so a few times already, clueless, can you focus? Hello??

At this point, first Bobin, then Jon follow through. (And, I assume, Hawk).

[Edgar Snow]

Spoiler: Before leaving home...

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Tobias tracks down two people he feels familiar enough with: Avelyne and Gwenda. He offers them both slightly above a normal day's wages to sell the food and drink to anyone, or anything, that inquires. He also makes it clear that neither are to speak of home or leave the stall at the requests of others. The hope is for Avelyne to handle the money, but for either of them to make a note of anything said about the Radiant Dawn

.

At the portal, Tobias watches as the others move through. He gives a final wave to the women at booth, and with a hand on Ralf, moves through himself.

[WalkingTheShade]

Jon falls to the ground of the garden. As he rises up, sickness contorts his face for a few seconds. He bends over, looking like he might give back his breakfast, but stops short of it. He starts breathing heavily, shakes his head and now looks at the vista around him. "Huh... ah... where... huh?... what?... I mean... huh..." He shakes his head again. "Oh." He looks over the strange garden now. "Oh. Are we, are we in Heaven?" Jon falls silent for some time trying to figure out the consequences. "Are we dead?" Jon shrugs. "Toby? Come 'ere Toby? Are you fine ki... I mean Bobin, sorry, are you fine?"

[jamieth]

The words addressed to her snap Alya from her amazement-induced trance, "Focus? I... Yes, I suppose I'm fine... I guess I am... Oh, that's a shame... it was a nice rope... Oh, sorry. Hello, Missis... eh... oh, hi, Bobin, hi, Jon - and no, I don't think we're dead... in fact, I feel myself so alive I just can't express it!"

[Kaptin Keen]

The green lady lady is like jade - a deep, lustrous shade reflecting the sunlight. She is rather scantilly clad, wearing a silken dress that seems to reveal more than it hides. Golden jewelry adorns her wrists and neck, and a single white pearl hangs on a fine chain on her forehead. Her final accessory is a small arrangement on one hip that holds a number of crystal rods.

All here then. Good. And you're ... a primer, right? Primers, actually, plural. Just wandered through the portal, and you have no idea what's what?

[Edgar Snow]

"Primers? Yes. I guess so. From the bazaar on the other side. We have very unique food there, stuff no one else does. We are just exploring after we have heard some intriguing information about what we might find. Since you are not a Primer, do you know of a group called the Radiant Dawn? We're you about to go through?".

Maybe it's the green skin, or her placement in the green garden, or the lack of clothing's effect on the young man - perhaps a combination - buy Tobias feels far more comfortable with the emerald woman than with a creature like Fael or the giant on the way in.

[Woggle]

"Toby? Come 'ere Toby? Are you fine ki... I mean Bobin, sorry, are you fine?"

Bobin looks around in wonderment at the living statues of green. It takes him a moment or two to realize he was being spoken to. "Huh? oh, um... let's see," He replies, quickly patting himself to make sure that he is unharmed. "Yes, I appear to be in one piece, thanks. Wow, would you look at that..."

Bobin trails off, studying the living plant statues more closely, then turns to look upon the green lady who greets them. At least we can see this ones face. And its certainly not a hard face to look at.

[Kaptin Keen]

Primers, then. As I thought. Welcome to Sigil. She smiles, dazzlingly. What brings you here? The Radiant Dawn. I don't know much about them - but I do know where their church is.

[Kaptin Keen]

Since no one has any additional questions, the jade lady explains:

Radiant Dawn have a huge ... edifice, I guess?! ... in the clerks ward. Once you're in the right ward, you basically can miss it - it's a huge building with it's own sun burning above it.

Actually, it's right there, you can see it. She points into the air - actually, at another part of the torus, as it curves away .... it would be south, if compass directions made any sense here. Actually, it's widdershins, and many miles away across unfamiliar urban terrain.

You might want to hire transportation.

[WalkingTheShade]

Jon's jaws hangs limp in confusion, as he looks at his companions for directions, aid, or whatever.

[Kaptin Keen]

Jon's jaws hangs limp in confusion, as he looks at his companions for directions, aid, or whatever.

Noticing Jon, the jade lady smiles crookedly, and remarks: You know, every once in a while you get a clueless that just doesn't recover. It's like their minds just wont accept the reality of the planes, and ... goes blank.

She waves her hand at Jon. Hello?

[jamieth]

"I don't really know how can anyone not go blank upon seeing this all for the first time", Alya chuckles, "but don't you worry, miss, I think Jon's going to be alright. But, oh, that's a long way there - and we don't even know what kind of money do you use around here..."

[Kaptin Keen]

"I don't really know how can anyone not go blank upon seeing this all for the first time", Alya chuckles, "but don't you worry, miss, I think Jon's going to be alright. But, oh, that's a long way there - and we don't even know what kind of money do you use around here..."

See, that's one of the things clueless mostly don't get. Here, anything is currency - on the other hand, nothing is: Primers expect there to be a king, and he mints pieces of gold, and those are used for trade. But here? Most people don't really care about gold. They care about other things - materials, information, magic, souls.

Souls are special. You get your hands on a few souls, you can always trade with the fiends. And the fiends trade in everything.

[WalkingTheShade]

Jon blinks a couple times, and looks at the jade lady like he's just noticed her for the first time. "Ah... ah... aaah... Huh? Huh... hu-hu-hu-hullo nice la-la-lady..." Jon is now positively redder than beetroot; his gaze seems to be locked upon the lady's most fantasmagorically feline feminine parts.

[Kaptin Keen]

Jon blinks a couple times, and looks at the jade lady like he's just noticed her for the first time. "Ah... ah... aaah... Huh? Huh... hu-hu-hu-hullo nice la-la-lady..." Jon is now positively redder than beetroot; his gaze seems to be locked upon the lady's most fantasmagorically feline feminine parts.

Ahh ... coming back to us, I see. What is your name, young man. The lady is clearly undisturbed by Jons lack of ability to politely not stare at her.

[WalkingTheShade]

"Ah... Huh... m-m-m-m-m'name is Jon, Jon Turnip, but Turnip isn't really my name but they call me Jon Turnip 'cause there's already Big Jon, Long Jon, Lame Jon, Old Jon, Jon Brown and you know what a tunip is in this city but anyways they call me turnip because t'other kids they said I'm thick as a turnip but really I'm not it's true sometimes I'm a bit slow but Ma' says it's 'cause I have a gentle soul but Da' he just said she shouldn't spoil me like this and tell me the truth but in truth Da' was an adventurer and I wanted to be like 'im but he ain't let me be then Da' died after he got sick so I took his stuff but he was dead so he can't miss it really so it's not like stealing really and I didn't say bye which ain't really nice and I went to be an adventurer too and then I got to Silverbrook and saw father Antonius and then he told me go see the mayor but I was late so I followed Hawk and then everyone went into the portal and I went in because t'kid I mean Bobin said it was dangerous and it wasn't nice to leave them alone!" By that point Jon has turned some shade or purple, probably because of oxygen deprivation.

[Kaptin Keen]

"Ah... Huh... m-m-m-m-m'name is Jon, Jon Turnip, but Turnip isn't really my name but they call me Jon Turnip 'cause there's already Big Jon, Long Jon, Lame Jon, Old Jon, Jon Brown and you know what a tunip is in this city but anyways they call me turnip because t'other kids they said I'm thick as a turnip but really I'm not it's true sometimes I'm a bit slow but Ma' says it's 'cause I have a gentle soul but Da' he just said she shouldn't spoil me like this and tell me the truth but in truth Da' was an adventurer and I wanted to be like 'im but he ain't let me be then Da' died after he got sick so I took his stuff but he was dead so he can't miss it really so it's not like stealing really and I didn't say bye which ain't really nice and I went to be an adventurer too and then I got to Silverbrook and saw father Antonius and then he told me go see the mayor but I was late so I followed Hawk and then everyone went into the portal and I went in because t'kid I mean Bobin said it was dangerous and it wasn't nice to leave them alone!" By that point Jon has turned some shade or purple, probably because of oxygen deprivation.

Ooh - remember to breathe. She smiles, and rests her hand lightly on his shoulder, Jon, it's good of you to take care of your friends.

Now, as regards the Radiant dawn, you can see the flare of light over there. That's where you need to go. If you know the shortcuts, you can get there quickly, but ... obviously you don't. You can hire a guide and go on foot, or hire transportation - or even pay for teleportation, though that's really expensive.

[WalkingTheShade]

Jon breathes in. When the nice pretty jade lady puts her hand on his shoulder he straightens up, still red on the face, and promptly looks away from her. A look of distress passes on Jon's face.

[Edgar Snow]

"Thank you very much. I think, unless the way is tough or too dangerous, that we should walk there. As newcomers to this land, I think we should take the time to look around. Could I offer something for your help? Perhaps you would like to try a... Blueberry muffin? I'd quite like you to try one".

Without waiting for to much of a response, Tobias will move back through the portal...

[Kaptin Keen]

There is no portal behind Tobias.

There is sort of an arch - you are essentially on a path, and on one side of it the vegetation has grown into a statue of a naked lady holding out some sort of branch. One the other, an armored knight holds aloft his sword. The two meet above your heads. This, presumably, is where the return gate will open when activated.

But at present? It's closed. And you have no idea how to open it.

[Woggle]

Bobin goggles away at the distance awhile, a little overwhelmed at the -- in his mind, anyway -- impossibility of the geography they find themselves in. He tilts back his hat and admires the view a while longer, then turns back to the Green Lady and the others. He listens carefully to the Lady's answers. When Tobias turns back to where the portal should be, Bobin turns as well, not completely surprised to find the portal... inactive.

Turning back to the Lady, he asks: "You've been very helpful, thank you. You wouldn't happen to know how we can get back to our home, do you? Also, you say we should seek transportation to the Radiant Dawn. Would you also happen to have an idea of where we might find it?" Bobin continues to glance about, a slightly bemused smile on his childlike face.

[Kaptin Keen]

Well, I don't know much about the portal, but I can tell you what I do know. Odds are this particular portal requires something rather expensive to open. Portals to the prime are rare and hard to find - and they often offer very valuable opportunities. After all, most things that take place on the planes are rooted somehow in the prime.

So since people aren't lining up - it's propably hard or expensive or both to get through.

You didn't ... go through the portal without knowing how to get back, did you?

As for transportation, go outside the garden. Find a tout. They are all over. Ask for transportation. Flight is expensive but fast. A rickshaw is slower, but cheap.

[WalkingTheShade]

"Ah... huh... M'lady, say... huh... do you know where the Magic Animal Land is? How do we get there?"
Jon thinks a bit more.
"And huh, o'course, o'course we do know our way back. Don't we ki... I mean, don't we Bobin? Tobias, we do know the way back, o'course?"