Walks All Paths: 3/12/97 - 4/13/97 (11/11 - ???/96)
"Fade to Gray"
From what I have heard, existence in the Shadowlands is rather bleak and depressing. So far I agree. I thought that impressions from the material world would be less vague than they are, but not many of our kind travel here, so I am willing to bet that I will be wrong in many of my assumptions.
The first thing that we did in the Shadowlands was to heal the wounded. Then we slept. Kevin and Cab stayed on watch, with Cab drumming to ward off any malicious spirits. After about four hours they woke up Reuben and tried to wake up Kacee. Kacee did not respond well, so they let her sleep and woke up me instead. As soon as we were awake, Cab collapsed from exhaustion. Reuben and I, for some reason, seemed to be holding up better than most everyone else, so we let them sleep until they woke up on their own. For most of the group, that took about twelve hours. Reuben and I did not mind, however, for we both knew how important a good night’s sleep can be to one’s mental health. The quest would begin when we were all ready.
After we all awoke, Renee and Reuben were able to use magick to create some food. It was bland, but it served. Then the group decided to try out their abilities in the Shadowlands. Apparently, they were shocked to learn that their paradox afflictions do not work in the lands of the dead. Releasing that energy only injures them. Trying to meditate for Quintessence only resulted in Eric’s further injury, so that was also ruled as a bad idea.
Cab did not want to leave the confines of the Chantry’s presence in the Shadowlands, for fear that space did work the same as in the material realm. Apparently she had discovered that time does not exist in the shadowlands. Some of the others were braver, though, and were taking tentative steps outside when I got impatient. I stood up and walked past them all and out to the street. I closed my eyes, turned all the way around and opened them again. I then walked back into the house and declared that it was safe to go outside. I also reminded them that our quest demanded that we follow the tendril to its end to find my soul. In doing so, though, I glanced at the shadow of my material form, lying on the floor in lupus form, and remembered that I am only half whole. I also noticed that it no longer felt natural to revert to lupus. Indeed, any transformation would require loosing some of my gnosis, and that was too precious to waste on meaningless shapeshifting. So I was stuck being the homid part of Walks All Paths for a while. I was stuck being John.
After some more talking and waiting, I managed to get them all to begin the quest. Unfortunately, Reuben, Renee, and Mary all felt very uncomfortable once they left the Chantry, but after a few minutes they were ready to continue. We walked for a while, perhaps an hour or two, until we came upon an area that Reuben guessed was near wade avenue. My knowledge of the area was not good enough to make such a claim so I just nodded. The odd thing, though, was that we all noticed that the city was becoming smaller behind us as we walked, as if the distance we actually traveled was much greater than that which we thought we were walking. As the city behind us receded, another drew slightly closer before us. Also, there seemed to be someone standing off to the side of us. He was some distance away and did not appear to be moving, but always kept pace with us. Kacee tried to run over to him to ask him questions, but was not getting any closer to him. We called her back and continued our trek.
When Cab told us that we had been walking for almost twelve hours, we started considering setting up camp for the night. It was while we were talking that I noticed that the figure was drawing slightly closer, but much more quickly than the city in the distance, and from the front instead of off to our side. I told the others to keep walking and not to make any sudden moves. Shortly we were very close to the figure, but it had changed. It no longer looked like a man, but like a perched animal of some sort, probably a large bird. I found this odd since I had learned that there weren’t any animal spirits in the deadlands. When I saw it spread its wings and fluff them I recognized it for what it was, an owl. More to the point though, it was my owl. I rushed ahead to great it, grateful that my prayers for a totem had been answered. I tried for a moment to talk to Owl, but it did not seem to be working. Then I saw it move its beak as if chewing, and I realized that I was not only a fool, but completely unobservant as well. I offered it some of my gnosis, and it glowed. Then Owl took on human form, and smiled at me.
We greeted one another and he said that the time was right, so Great Owl had sent him to help me. At that, I felt a strange itching on my back and asked Renee to look under my shirt. She gasped, then giggled, and informed me that I had wings. I thanked Owl for his gift, and asked if he knew how we might better obtain our goal of reaching my soul. He said that following the tendril was probably the best way, as the quicker methods were somewhat deadlier. He then pointed to the city and said that the tendril leads to it, and that we might find help there. We asked what city it was, and he replied that it was the great city of Stygia, capital of the Dark Kingdom of Iron. He said that there was a wise and powerful wraith named Lord Balthazar who might be able to help us. He then started to look around, as if for an exit. Kevin asked if there was anything that we could do to repay him and Owl smiled and said, "Thank you, but Walks All Paths provides." Evidently the gnosis was exactly the right thing. I will remember that. With that, Owl resumed his spirit form and flew off away from us, and Stygia.
We rested for the night, and awoke ready to travel on. When Renee and Reuben were preparing food they noticed that it was not as easy here as it had been before. We guessed that the nearness of the Chantry had made it easier there, but that it would be more difficult from then on. It took several hours to reach Stygia. Even as the great city loomed, it was far away, but then we were there, falling into an incredibly long line of visitors. No one seemed interested in anyone else, and the silence was unnatural for that many humans collected in one place, even if the were dead. Kevin decided to talk to the group behind us, who were dressed rather oddly, which means that they had been dead for some time. He found out that there was a thriving market inside that many were going to go trade and sell at. He also discovered that objects from the material world reacted strangely to wraiths, and seemed to be quite valuable.
After what seemed to be an eternity, we were able to see the city gates. After another seeming eternity, we actually reached them. Well, almost. We had to check in at a desk by the gates where a beaurocrat sat. He asked me, as I was at the head of the group, my name and purpose in coming to Stygia. I told him that my name was John Walker and that we were on a pilgrimage. He asked if I had anything to declare and I responded that I was glad that we had finally arrived. He sneered and said that he meant were we carrying anything that was not allowed within the city. He then asked to see my weapons, asking if they were of me or of the world. I responded that they were of me as I handed them to him. He jumped slightly as he touched them and said, "Of you, huh! These are soulbiters!" and snapped his fingers.
Two guards approached as I asked him to clarify what he meant. I said that they were my weapons, therefore of me, and that I was actually still alive and on a quest to find my soul. He waved off the guards as they arrived and sighed. Shaking his head slightly he mumbled something about having been at this post for seventy-five years and this was the strangest thing that had ever happened here. I agreed that it was a complicated situation and asked if we should talk to someone else as I did not wish to hold up the line any more than we already had. He just looked up and said, "They’ll wait, their dead." He then said that he would have to confiscate our weapons and any metal that we had on us as it was a danger to the city. He also said that they would be kept in the armory and that we could come back for them when our business inside was done. As we were considering the options, Mary came up to me and whispered that she did not think that we would get anything back if we left them with the wraiths. I asked the others if we could send some inside and the others remain outside with the weapons. We agreed, and Mary, Kevin, Cab, Reuben, dog and myself went into the city leaving behind Renee, Kacee and Eric with all of the weapons.
Once inside, we looked around and saw several people offering their services as guides. We asked for the one that the gate guard had recommended, and he turned out to be a young boy-wraith. He looked no more than fourteen years old. He said that he would take us wherever we wanted to go for a price. Kevin asked how much and he asked how much we had. Kevin offered him a ring that he had bought from the man behind us in the waiting line, and asked if that was enough to get us to Lord Balthazar. The boy accepted, but laughed at us for wanting to visit Balthazar, explaining that we would discover the reason why soon enough.
The others were discussing the odd architectural styles, how the city seemed to have series’ of walls that were built, torn down and built again as the city expanded. They also mentioned the time periods that the different styles represented seemed to go farther back in time the further we progressed into the city. I was just trying to concentrate on where we were and the direction from where we came in case we needed to retreat. Fortunately, we were lead straight to Balthazar’s door. The boy laughed as he walked away. As I knocked on the door, Reuben was commenting on the garish coloring of Balthazar’s residence. I must admit that I was taken aback by how truly repulsive the color combination appeared. But then someone answered the door. I greeted him, saying "Lord Balthazar..." and he responded by saying that no, I was not Lord Balthazar. I was slightly confused, but Cab stepped up and said that we were there to see Lord Balthazar and could we come inside? The man said that we could and allowed us in. He then went to get Balthazar as we looking in horror at the utter destruction that had been rendered to good taste in this wraith’s home.
When Lord Balthazar arrived, however, we did indeed understand the reason why things were so odd. It was because Lord Balthazar is so odd. In fact, he is a raving loon, less in touch with reality than most black spiral dancers, but luckily without their penchant for malicious activity. He could not seem to stay on the subject of helping me locate my soul, constantly asking Reuben if he could pet his dog and commenting on how much he liked Mary’s staff. He would then ask me again about my soul and then wander off onto some other topic. Finally I stood up and told him that I needed his help. That I was Garou, still alive, and that Owl had sent me to him for help in retrieving my soul. At that Balthazar fell quiet. After a few moments he asked me how Owl was doing and what Owl had said about him. I responded that Owl seemed to be doing well and that he told me that Balthazar was a wise and powerful wraith who could help me. Balthazar looked confused for a moment and then said, "That’s right, I am wise and powerful!" and asked us to introduce ourselves. We did, and Kevin went so far as to shake his hand, at which Lord Balthazar ripped away from Kevin, screaming in pain. He looked up and panted, "Did you know that you still have your soul?"
Finally we convinced Lord Balthazar that we were not crazy and that there was indeed a black tendril leading through his house (odd that it did that) towards my soul. We pointed it out to him, and Balthazar rummaged through an equipment box and emerged with some odd hook-like device. He looked through one end of it at the tendril, saying "Ah, there you are." He then reared back and swung the device at the tendril which, as it made contact, hooked around the tendril and sucked Balthazar down its length and right out of the room - through a wall! I lead the others through the house, following the tendril, and in some cases the general direction of the tendril. We finally came out into a large atrium at the top of the house, in the center of it was a large tree that reached up into the open roof. Right beside it was the tendril. Desperately holding onto each was Lord Balthazar, screaming for us to get him down. I decided to try a new trick, and removed my jacket and shirt, handed them to Cab, and used my new wings to fly up to him. After an awkward start, I was able to reach him. I suggested that he try to disconnect the device from the tendril and he responded that he had not thought of that. One it was disconnected we decided to climb down the tree instead of testing my wings again.
We mentioned our other companions and what had happened at the gate, and Lord Balthazar said that he could fetch them and the weapons for us. He called in his butler, Jeeves, who said that he would get the car. Balthazar responded by saying, "I have a car?" He kept repeating this over and over throughout our conversation, what there was of it, until the others arrived. A moment after our companions entered, Jeeves entered and said "Found them for you sir." and left. The others looked at him oddly since, apparently, they had to find their way there on their own.
According to Renee, they were approached by some wraiths outside the city and told that Lady Ashen wished to see them. After a brief discussion, they were escorted into the city and relieved of their weapons. The Lady Ashen came into their cell, walking right through the wall. She was asking them about their reason for being there and what was happening when something demanded her attention. She left, again passing through the wall. Not long after, three men entered and offered them the chance to escape, saying that they would have to let the wraiths take control of their bodies. Grudgingly, the three agreed, and the wraiths slipped into their bodies. Only Eric remained conscious enough to realize that they all slipped through the walls and ran down several streets until they arrived in another cell. The wraiths laid them all down on cots and then slipped out of their bodies, looking very exhausted. The wraiths then left the room and bolted it from the outside. Once they were all awake, Kacee decided to try to step through the door to unlock it from the other side. Amazingly enough, she was able to do so without alerting anyone to their escape.
Then they ran until they were back out on the street and were promptly almost shot in a drive by shooting. Luckily the attackers were aiming at someone else and they were able to get away quickly. They found a guide in the market area, who turned out to be the same boy-wraith who guided us, who would take them to Lord Balthazar. Unfortunately they paid him with a real coin and he decided that he could make more money off of them by mugging them. He lead them into a dark alley where they were surrounded by what appeared to be juvenile delinquents with knives. Feeling a little less than in control, Renee decided to pull her gun on them and started a fight (have I mentioned lately that I really love her spirit - and the rest of her). With a little ingenuity, Renee, Kacee and Eric managed to drive off their attackers, with a little aid from a gentlemanly wraith who looked like he would clean up the situation. He was also kind enough to give them directions to Balthazar’s, but not without a strange look.
Once reunited, we needed to find out how to get our weapons back and how to get out of Stygia. Lord Balthazar promptly called Lady Ashen - yes, on a telephone - and coerced her into getting our weapons back. While Jeeves was out getting our weapons, we had another pointless conversation with Balthazar about how to follow the tendril since it goes straight up out of his house. Unfortunately, he and Kacee seemed to understand one another, so I fear that the Apocalypse is nearing faster than I thought. Finally Jeeves returned with all of our weapons but one sword and a few of the personal metal items. We decided that that was an acceptable loss and again inquired as to how we could follow the tendril. Balthazar had Jeeves lead us all to the garage, more like a huge hangar, to see if their was a suitable method of transportation. Among the fleet of cars, biplanes, jetliners and other vehicles, which Balthazar didn’t seem to realize that he owned, was a hot air balloon. Finally it was agreed that we could take it, but in return we would owe them a favor in the future. We sealed the agreement with an expenditure of gnosis and Quintessence into some sort of glowing ball.
Amazingly enough, Eric was able to pilot the balloon and soon we were airborne, following the tendril straight up but keeping a slight distance to the side of it. As we went higher, I noticed that the desert that we had walked through to get to Stygia was shifting and rearranging constantly, and that things seemed to be moving around in it. There were areas that seemed to be unaffected, holding to a constant reality. It was then that I realized that I was looking at the tempest, and the road-like areas were byways. We must have been on a safe byway to not have been attacked by Specters at all on our journey to Stygia. We also noticed that there were other great cities out in the tempest, and from the distinct look of each I could only assume that they were the other Dark Kingdoms. But as we went higher we lost sight of most of it until we were completely swallowed by clouds.
When we emerged from the clouds we seemed to be in another realm altogether. Those that had uncomfortable feelings about being in the shadowlands felt much better, and the colors seemed brighter as well. Kacee said that the realm was only about one thousand feet high. As we could see the clouds descending below us we looked up to see a ceiling fast approaching from above. Eric slowed our ascent so that we could stop before we hit the ceiling. Kasee decided to let go of some paradox and it just zoomed away as a flash of light. Suitably impressed, Reuben did the same, but instead got a large iguana. The others decided not to release any more paradox just yet. As we got closer, I decided to fly out and test the ceiling. As I touched it I was sucked up and through, losing consciousness. The others quickly followed suit, balloon, iguana and all.
Tom Brady <tabrady@mindspring.com>
Last modified: Thurs 15 May 16:35:00 1997 by tabrady