No Longer in Kansas - Episode 1

[Anyr]

"Fine by me!"

Julia's newfound confidence brought a smile to Sarah's face. The two of them were ready to face the world again: At least, until the next disaster struck. But they'd cross that bridge when they came to it. For now, Sarah would just enjoy the moment.

[PeacefulOak]

Colin

Avor raises an eyebrow when you mention Garan. "You know Garan, then? He and his are a big reason we're all still around. We're here because to be alone is to be dead, to be burned and used for parts in the horror of Unity. Look at me!" He pauses in his work, stretching up to his height and flexing his impressive muscles. "Do I look like someone who can conform?That world is not for me."

Eris

You step out of the yurts and begin to wander. Something draws you, a sense of purpose or a parity of spirit that pings against your subconscious. As you walk, you notice that several of the disparate people of this town notice you, either nodding respectfully amidst their work or moving towards you momentarily before pausing, seeming to sense something of your focus and choosing not to interrupt. Eventually you arrive at a clearing with a wide swath of charring on the ground, before an impressive hill with a sheer rock face that is painted with a myriad of runes, symbols, and images, all in a dusky gray color.

Julia and Sarah

The journey back is as exciting as you choose to have it, with a myriad of new sights available to you. You arrive back without significant event, to find the tents unoccupied.

[fire_insideout]

Eris

For the first time since they stepped into this new world Eris fully lets her instincts guide her, wandering wherever her feelings take her. It's a strange feeling, both uneasy and liberating, and when she reaches the clearing she has a budding headache.
So, they burn the deceased? I guess that makes sense at a place where the dead rise.
Looking around the woman tries to find someone to ask for more information about the place.

[PeacefulOak]

Eris

From the shadows by the hill comes a wavering voice. "What brings you to the Pyrewall, child?" Looking closer, you see a rough lean-to near the wall, tucked against some bushes off to one side. From within, a slender figure can be seen in the shadows. Now that you have noticed it, it glows with incredible light to your eyes.

[dethkruzer]

She was still surprised by how... Friendly the folk here seemed, a trait that she wouldn't necessarily have expected given the rathe monstrous form of some. A trait many people could honestly take a lesson in from the locals.

Still, it felt nice to get back to the yurts, though Julia was surprised to find that it was empty. "I guess Eris decided to go for a stroll as well." The doctor would remark before giving a small shrug. She wouldn't have minded more company. On the other, some sense of privacy actually sounded like a welcome change of pace.

Julia would take a few steps into the yurt, before taking off her sandals, and walking over to one of the cots, and sitting down onto it. One hand reached to the roll of leather she clutched against her side and set it down on the ground beside the cot. Finally a chance to sit down onto something that felt actually comfortable, finally a chance to relax in a way that wouldn't have her aching in the morning and that didn't call for getting nude. She leaned forward, planting her elbows against her knees and resting her chin against the backs of her hands.

Her eyes closed lightly, a long exhale excaping her. Followed by a soft inhale, Julia would slowly tilt her head side to side, before slowly, gently tilting her head as far back as it comfortably went. With another xhale, she opened her eyes, staring toward the roof of the yurt. "What do you think about all this?" She spoke, suddenly. "About what Yolmar said before, about us being... Fate-touched, or something?" Why was she even asking this. The words of the leader had just come back to her for whatever reason, maybe she subconsciously still pondered the weight of that.... Title.

[Anyr]

Sarah collapsed onto the opposite cot. She lay upright, and reached out a hand towards the ceiling. The water rushed to dance around her outstretched limb. She watched its movements as she pondered Julia's question.

"I think it's rubbish. We've certainly been touched by something; But not Fate. That mysterious voice is just forcing us to play along with its story. Remember when we first got kidnapped? It accidentally sent us all to the wrong place! Our patron is far from omniscient.

And besides, there's no incentive for us to believe in the prophecy. If we really are destined saviours, then we're certain to win anyway. So we might as well ignore that possibility. Better to assume that there's no magic safety net waiting to catch us: That our decisions actually matter."

[dethkruzer]

Julia gave a small nod, along with an acknowledging hum. Her hands would pull up all the way agianst her chest, before slowly being raised straight up. Intertwining her fingers, she slowly tilted her head back forward, bending her elbows while still leaving her upper arms poinintg to the roof, her thumbs coming to rest against her neck.

"True. As far as we're concerned, that title means nothing. But dare I say that doesn't seem quite the case with Yolmar and his people. It just..." She paused with a sigh, her head sprining back up while her hands just slumped down to her sides again. "It... What I mean is, the people seem to think of us as some kind of promised heroes. I don't know,
am I just overthinking this? I just... Feel a little guilty just accepting all this hospitality, when there is clearly an unspoken expectation for them to receive something in return." One of Julia's hands came up to rub her temples. "All this thinking is giving me a headache..." She lamented as a soft throb made itself known within her head.

[Anyr]

Sarah sighed. In this case, she had little comfort to offer.

"I've been worried about that too. It's hard to believe that they'll be satisfied with our contributions. This could all backfire spectacularly. Even so, there seems no choice but to play the hand we've been dealt. We're stranded on this world until the voice deems otherwise. And it's painfully obvious that our director wants an exciting story. It's not going to be satisfied with 'boring' choices, like fleeing to safety. We need to be interesting; Spontaneous; Passionate! That's what being a character in someone else's sick fantasy is all about..."

Her voice practically dripped with contempt.

[dethkruzer]

Julia chuckled slightly at this,even if the tone did betray the ironic intent behind it. And true once again. I suppose that's all there is, we sit down and play through the hand we are dealt. She would speak in reply, before turning slightly on her cot and flopping onto her back. "Though your average game of poker does tend to get really boring really fast when you have someone else calling all the bets, the deck is rigged against you, and you can't even fold.

She let out a long, sighing exhale that did a decent job in conveying just how fed up with the situation she was as well. Her eyes would trace along the roof of the yurt for a moment, before wandering down, coming onto the water that danced around and above Sarah's arm. "I suppose we'll just have to learn to survive in this hellhole, not like we have other valid choices. And I guess that means, at least in part, learning how this all works. What makes all these... Things tick, what makes... whatever you're doing function. At least I'll have my work cut out for me. Julia would finish this with a small chuckle, a small hint of sarcasm invading her voice.

One of her hands rose up, fingers splaying outward as her eyes wandered over, tracing long the outlines of her hand. Looks like she'd managed to chip a nail at some point. How did that even happen? "I wonder if they have any tailors who would be as helpful as Clutch around?" She wondered aloud.

[Anyr]

Sarah's ears perked up. She was suddenly very aware of the itchy fabric touching her skin. She glanced down at her unimpressive brown robes. Not exactly the garb of heroes.

"Now there's a thought. I've been so relieved to have any clothes, that I just settled for what I'd been given. Perhaps there's a better class of garment in our future. Right, time for another shopping trip. Coming?"

She hopped down from her cot. The thought of actually being fashionable again had energised her. Soon enough, she'd be on the streets once again: Seeking out the tailor who could free her from itchy annoyance.

[dethkruzer]

Julia's hand would come down to push herself up into a sitting position. "Well, this leather robe is kinda nice all things considered, even though it doesn't breath at all. Still an upgrade over those rags I started out with." She would then climb out of the cot, and walked over to Sarah "While I'm hesitant to believe that we could find some luxurious fabrics like silk, it's worth a shot. I'll gladly come along."

For a moment though she would stare off, one hand coming up to rub her chin. "Perhaps I should look into some special precautions. All things considered, we'll probably run into something that bleeds poisonous acid sooner or later."

[Malachite]

Colin

Colin takes in the great bulk of meat and sinew and bone, and feels the deep bass rumble of the ogre's voice reverberating in his own body. He's dimly aware that, where once this would have touched off every instruct to flee bred into generations of ancestors, it now begins to awaken a primal urge to do battle - a hunger to strike down any who would come up against him. It's not directed at Avor himself, merely an awareness that his days of running are over.

"You look like someone who could force the world to bend to make a place for you," he replies. He hesitates, unsure for a moment whether to continue, then throws caution to the wind. When he speaks next, his eyes shine with a light of anger and ambition.

"I want to carve out a place for myself too. I've had people steal knowledge I fought long and hard for in one second of carelessness, look down on me as though I'm less than them and push me into doing things I hate just to try to survive, and you know what? I've had it with that. I don't know why things are as they are, but ever since I got here I've been stronger and tougher than I have any right to be, and I'm not going to roll over and accept things being forced upon me any more."

His breathing deepens and his nostrils flare as he hits his stride.

"You folk tell me that some queen wants to take her army and try to make me fit her little idea of how everyone should be? Her soldiers tried it and I put my bare fists through plate armour and crushed their skulls. If I have to, I'll going to smash my way though every single one of them that comes at me until I walk up the steps of her palace, drag her robed arse off her throne and beat her head in with her own crown!"

He stands panting for a moment, with an expression that moves from fury to shock at what he just said, then to resolution. His is the face of a man determined to forge his destiny by the strength of his own body, or else die in the attempt.

[fire_insideout]

Eris

The sound of the unfamiliar voice startles Eris and the woman falls into her best interpretation of a combat stance. A moment later she blushes, feeling both ridiculous and startled at the same time.
"Sorry..." She hesitates for a moment. "I didn't mean to bother you. I was just looking."
She pauses for a bit, looking closer at the glowing figure. Since the first battle she has largely ignored the visible glow people seem to be emanating, assuming it was something the natives of this world just did, but this time it was so strong it was difficult to ignore.
"Pyrewall? What is this place?"

[PeacefulOak]

Colin

The ogre laughs and claps you on the shoulder. "Fated indeed! You will find no shortage of faces to punch here if freedom and independence are what you seek, friend."


Eris

From the shadows the figure steps forth, an ancient-seeming woman of pale grey skin. "The Pyrewall is where we stand, where the spirits of the fallen are freed from their physical bonds and sent adrift into the air. This," she gestures to the wall of images, "is my work, my role. I take the ashes of the fallen and make their image on the stone, that they may be forever remembered." She pauses, head cocked to one side as she examines you, her whispy hair drifting in the faint breeze. "You seem strange, child. What drew you here?"

[fire_insideout]

Eris

"Not sure, actually. It was mostly... Instinct I guess. And curiosity." The young woman shrugs.
"I heard that the dead walk the land in some places. I wanted to see how you treat your dead." She looks past the old woman and to the painted symbols and ***** her head slightly.
"How do you know what to draw, what image to give a person?"

[PeacefulOak]

Eris

The woman smiles. "Yes, that is the question, isn't it? Did I know each so well in life that I know what to paint? Or is it their spirit that comes and speaks through their ashes, guiding my hands in drawing their memory? Who can say, truly? I am very old, and all know me sooner or later. Most, after they stop breathing." She laughs, a surprisingly gentle sound like a young woman's delicate mirth.

[fire_insideout]

Eris

Eris smiles uncertainly, not sure how to interpret the old woman's answer.
"I see... Spirits is something unknown to me. Say, does spritis have anything to do with the way everyone on your world glows?" She gestures at the aura of light radiating from the woman.
"Where I come from... Well, we don't have spirits and neither do people shed light."

[PeacefulOak]

Spoiler: Eris, Continued

Show

The woman looks at you askance, then ponders for a moment. "I wonder... No, child. No one here glows. I wonder if perhaps what you see is the spirit within them? Very interesting.
I wonder if this is similar..." she trails off, pondering. A moment later, her eyes refocus on you. "Do you admire my work?"

The Feast

In the center of the village is an immense clearing which has been prepared for a mighty feast. Long split-log tables are scattered about a large central bonfire. Wider tables radiate out from the bonfire in each of the cardinal directions, heavily loaded with cooked meats, a wide variety of breads and baked goods, and more vegetables than you have ever imagined.

Each of you were called and brought together to this feast, and the word had spread quickly throughout the village that it was time to celebrate. Throngs of varied creatures of all shapes and sizes and colors line the tables, plates and bowls rapidly filling with food. Julia and Sarah, you each had managed to find a clothier who provided you with fine clothing, waving away your inquiries as to cost. A runner had come to retrieve Eris from her conversation, and the old lady had reclined back into her shelter, wishing you a hearty meal. Colin has been here for some time, helping to assemble and prepare the space in joyful camaraderie with the other workers, and is now resting on one of the benches, sweat-soaked and sore-muscled but feeling deeply satisfied.

Yolmar greets you all by name, welcoming you and bringing you to sit at a place of honor around a round stone table near the bonfire. He sits with his back to it, the roaring flames highlighting his broad form. Once everyone is seated and served, he spreads his hands to you all. "Please, eat. Here in the Free Tribes we save our ceremonies for after we have taken our fill. Of course, you are welcome to speak as we eat. I could tell that you had questions when we parted. I am a keeper of lore, so there may be answers I hold. What would you know?"

[Anyr]

Sarah beheld the banquet with trepidation. All of this was in her group's honour? That felt more disturbing than flattering. At least she was dressed for the part. The tailor had given her a comfortable green tunic, and long green skirt. She'd also stored some new trousers in her bag, along with her previous outfit: Or so she thought. Unbeknownst to her, the bag had already managed to lose its extra contents. But that was a revelation for later. Right now, she was just enjoying the lack of itchiness.

She uncertainly took a seat at the table. Her water streams shied away from the roaring fire. Perhaps it was her imagination, but the flames seemed to be greeting her. She felt certain that, if she beckoned, it would come to her. Not that such a spectacle would be appropriate right now. The newly attired banker gave a respectful nod to Yolmar. Their host seemed more than willing to engage in mealtime conversation. Maybe now they could get some answers.

"Thank you. I'll start with an obvious question: How do you know us? I'd very much like to know about the prophecies that foretold our arrival."

[dethkruzer]

the leather robes had been a significant upgrade for the coarse fabrics that she had under the armor, but what she'd gotten along with Sarah was still another step up.

Similar to the other, she now wore a tunic, though the doctor had opted for a natural-white one. She'd been offered a skirt, but had requested breeches instead, and the ones she now wore were a slate shade of grey. Not quite super-high-end, but the fabric was still so much nicer than the garbage she'd been forced to wear the previous day. But once again, they had been offered seemingly as gifts, a fact that would further strengthen her views on the theory she'd discussed with Sarah before.

The feast too was quite something, but again only served to amp up that feeling of unspoken expectation. But it seemed Yolmar was finally willing to give them some answers, and perhaps she could finally gt this off her chest, but Julia couldn't quite find it in herself to be the first to open her mouth. Thankfully, Sarah took care of that, and also took care of a question she herself would have asked.

"I've another question, and before I go on, I just want to apologize in advance should what I'm about to say come off as ungrateful. Now, I want to start properly by thanking you and your people for the helpfulness and hospitality we've been afforded. Sarah and myself have been given clothing, and I've received some fine tools, all with no money or services changing hands otherwise.
Which is why I want to ask, for sake of transparency if nothing else: is there some unspoken expectations towards us in place?"

[PeacefulOak]

The large green man laughs, his beads rising and falling against his chest with his mirth. "No expectations that you could possibly disappoint, Julia. I believe much of the enthusiasm of my people may be credited to the simple fact that we haven't had strangers here in a very long time. There is a deep desire to make you feel welcome." He pauses, glancing to Sarah. "This does also relate to the prophecy I mentioned earlier. It is a bit long for the telling, however, and heavy. It is our custom to speak it at the end of a meal, rather than a beginning. Do not fear, however. Nothing is being asked of you that you would not be seeking to achieve in your own path."

[Malachite]

Colin watches to see the reaction to Julia's question. He hadn't really questioned why they were being taken in - beyond them having helped Garan and his companions defeat soldiers of the queen. Of the responses he'd expected, laughter wasn't one. The idea that everyone was just happy to see new faces eased the newly-rising concerns.

He looks at the wide spread and his stomach rumbles,reminding him that he hasn't eaten properly - if at all - in quite some time.

"Then let's eat and learn more about each other. We can talk about prophecies and fighting when we're full. This looks like an incredible feast, thank you."

He waits to see whether his host starts before tucking in himself.

[Anyr]

Sarah lapsed into silence. It seemed that most of her questions were best saved for after dinner. A rumbling sound signalled her stomach's agreement. It wanted her mouth to do more important things than talking. A bouquet of wonderful aromas wafted up from the table. Sarah could contain herself no longer. While the others talked, she launched a surprise attack on her unsuspecting dinner. Delicious! How long had it been since she'd ate a really good meal? Quite a while. Most food lately had been mass produced rubbish; Hastily eaten at her desk. Well, no longer. When (and she did mean when) she got out of here, Sarah would be making some changes to her diet. So at least some good would come of this insane adventure.

[dethkruzer]

That laugh caught her off-guard, not that she rally let it she, aside from her body momentarily tensing up. What the other had to say in response seemed to relax her. Still, he said it was due to the tribe not having visitors often. She couldn't help but feel a little skeptical about that claim, though the doctor refrained from voicing those thoughts.

But for the time it seemed it was best to simply go along. The idea of an actual meal, like say the one currently siting before her, tempting. A temptation she quite willingly chose to sate. Julia would give Yolmar an acknowledging nod, before picking a small loaf of bread, tearing it roughly in two, and biting into it.

Good God did even simple food taste that much sweeter when you're actually hungry. A sentiment that reflected on her face as her expression slowly shifted into a somewhat absentminded bliss.

[PeacefulOak]

The food is spectacular and the company relaxed and friendly, and you each find yourselves relaxing from tension that you hadn't realized you were carrying. For all its strangeness, this meal represents a degree of normalcy that rings true somewhere deep within each of you. Yolmar is an excellent host, putting you at ease and telling light stories that make you laugh.

It takes time, but eventually the savory meal is consumed and is then replaced with an assortment of sweet pastries, and pots of steaming liquid. Several different flavors of tea are provided, along with pewter mugs from which to drink. Perhaps more deeply affecting to some is a dark acrid liquid that makes you wonder where they could possibly have found a Starbucks!

Sweets in hand and hot drinks warming full bellies, Yolmar catches your attention.

"My friends, if I may call you that, you are well met here and welcome for as long as you wish to stay. You have asked for a reason, for the nature of the prophecy I believe you fulfill. I will now recite it for you.

Child in chains, the hated bane
Dressed in anger, fed with pain
Burning through the Holy Mein
Fate destroyed, in more than name.

Grey the people, all color gone
No light, no hope, no special one
Save now the Queen who sits alone
Her place secured, unholy throne.

Now come the disparate, chosen few
Who journeyed far, all fallen through
Portals of fate, of time, of new
Now at a loss, for what to do?

Journey they shall to find their path
Touching lives and being touched in turn
Not for themselves but of their nature
They'll bend the worlds around them.

Feral warrior, rage in chains.
Metal demon of war incarnate.
Lion within and without, yet tame.
Bringer of life, changer of shape.
Element child, nurtured in nature.
Death-touched mourner turned valkyrie.

Look for them and grant them passage...
Their fate is their own, not yours to challenge.

This is the oracle, the prophecy. What say you to this?" He looks to each of you as he finishes, his eyes shadowed and his form backlit by the bonfire.

[Anyr]

The feast thoroughly earned Sarah's approval. They even had coffee! Now she could postpone her pending caffeine headache for another day. She wished that this meal had been the main event, instead of a prelude. But all too soon, the fateful moment came. She listened with bated breath as Yolmar recited the prophecy. And when it finished, Sarah was roused to a resounding...'huh?'. As Yolmar had said, it did indeed predict the group's arrival; But barely anything else! No great deeds. No 'they shall lead you to victory'. It just said that they'd make some kind of difference to the world.

Normally, people might have been wary of that ambiguity. What if the visitors made things worse? This particular world, though, was already tumbling towards the cliff edge. They didn't exactly have much to lose. Sarah hesitantly replied.

"...I don't know what to say."

[dethkruzer]

You know, this was actually kinda nice. Good food, anf good company allowed the doctor to momentarily forget the... nightmarish situation that had befallen her. Even when their host looked something like the Hulk, she simply ignored that little detail in favor of the fact that Yolmar was actually more pleasant than most people she'd dealt with on a day-to-day basis. But, even though the meal was great, it was what followed that really served as the cherry on top.

Coffee. Dear sweet merciful Christ who art in heaven, coffee. In retrospect, Julia was surpised how she'd gotten through the past 24 and some hours without it. Coffee, and a nice little something to wash down with said coffee. Lovely.

As much as she'd have liked to immerse all her senses in that coffee, she had to deny herself that when Yolmar finally came to offer something she'd been hoping for a majority of her stay: answers. What she wasn't expecting was for him to actually recite the prophecy what she assumed was word-for-word. So she focused on it, what she could, she took in. but it was a lot of info to take in. What mostly stuck with her was the latter half of the whole thing, when the doctor realized the prophecy was describing, at least indirectly, herself and the rest.

Yolmar finally finished, and Julia sat silent, pondering. Her chin dipped downward, her left hand setting the little pastry down and comin up to cradle her chin. She would go over what she still remember in her head, then a second time over. Slowly, her gaze would rise, tracing across the table, until it came across Colin. "Feral warrior" her thoughts echoed Yolmar's words, a rather apt diescription. Next her gaze wandered to Eris. "Death-touched. A valkyrie." She would nod silently. Next, Richard, still in his armor. Surely he would have taken it off for this, unless. "Maybe he can't? So... Metal demon." A bit of a stretch, but it seemed to only one that seemed to fit. Sarah. "Element child, no question." She nodded again.

With that, her thoughts wandered to their stricken comrade that could not join them. "Tobias, Lion. By process of elimination..." She paused that thought for a moment, picking up her mug and emptying roughly half of the remaining contents into her mouth in a single swig. Not a good idea in retrospect, as the heat spreading through her mouth quickly went beyond pleasant and into the realm of uncomfortable. She forced herself to swallow the hot liquid, prompting a heavy sigh followed by a swift inhale. "By process of elimination..." She finally spoke out. "That would make me this... Bringer of Life. This... Changer of shape. Excuse my doubt, but I question how accurate that actually is. That aside, this is quite a bit to take in.

[PeacefulOak]

"I can see how this must be a lot of information to take in. It was a strange vision myself, and I witnessed each of you in some form.... but different." He pauses, and in that pause Richard stands.

"This... I am not ready to accept this. It is too much. I... will stay with Tobias. I can't leave him here alone... no offense." He rises from his seat, stepping back over the bench with a clank, bows creakily to Yolmar, and leaves the table.

Yolmar returns his bow deeply, though the man of Iron has already left. "That is unfortunate, but know that he is welcome here and will be well respected and cared for. Perhaps I might ask of you a question, now. What do you intend to do next, in your sojourn in our world?"

[Anyr]

Sarah understood how Richard felt. She too had the urge to retreat. This whole situation just provoked that reaction. It'd be so easy to follow his example. She could live a quiet, peaceful life in this village...Until the Queen got around to destroying it. Sarah had to remind herself that tranquillity was fleeting. She'd found temporary refuge here. But that bloodstained battlefield from yesterday still existed. Ignoring it wouldn't solve anything. At the very least, she needed to stay busy.

"I'd like to help. We really don't have a concr...solid goal yet. And since you've shown us such kindness, It's only fair to repay it. Are there any tasks that you need someone to handle? Chores or scouting, perhaps?"

[dethkruzer]

Different? Julia took a moment to consider the potential implications in this choice of words, but in the end decided neither that line of dialogue, or that line of thought. A decision partially made for her when Richard stood up and announced his intent on not continuing. She gave him a simple nod, not that she could ever blame him for his decision. Honestly, she kinda wanted to as well, to run away and forget this all ever happened. But where could she go? She could leave the village, but changes are she'd probably get eaten by some fantastic beast, or meet what was probably a far worse fate at the hands of the queen's pawn.

Yolmar's question served as a wonderful catalyst for her train of thought. What would she do? What could she do? Sighing, Julia would set down the mug before bringing her other hand to her temples, before letting out a short groan. Sarah seemed to have something to give in reply, the doctor giving the other woman a glance from under her brow, before pondering on the words further.

The blonde's face would tilt up again, her hand sliding down her face and under her chin, her other hand joining it, after which she rested her elbows onto the table and put the weight of her chin atop her intertwined fingers. "The queen is a problem, a problem for which I can say no certain solution, as I simply do not know enough. If anything, that lack of knowledge has been something of a common theme since my arrival." She would pause, tilting her head first to one side, then the other, taking a moment to give each of her remaining companions a glance. She then returned her her head to a more upright position. "Which is why in all honesty, I'm at a loss as to what to do next. As I already said, the queen is a problem, but a problem I find myself with little to contribute in terms of solving. The rest of you have shown some fantastic capabilities which will no doubt be of great aid in dealing with her minions, should that ever become necessary, something which I cannot say is likely hold true on my own part."

For a moment Julai would pause, before continuing. "Given my past experience, I could offer my skills as a doctor, perhaps even as some field medic. But if we consider how the prophecty went, would that course of action actually help in the long run?"