Kaolin: “Can you play cards?”
Taj Pach *picks up glass and throws water on the hadozee*: “You know I’ve learned to make people’s heads explode now…”
-Overheard during the Heroes Feast on the Ancient Nautiloid
After laying their plans over dinner the Seven Stars and the buglings get a god nights rest in preparation for their hopeful departure in the morning.
With Dave on standby in the Kelhorn’s Grace in case of disaster Taj tries to activate the course setting for Penumbra. Try to activate course for Penumbra. After processing fr a time the ship reports back that it is unable to plot the course due to being “on an unidentified vibratory plane at odds with the multiversal constants of their home multiverse”.
Using the psionic circuitry in conjunction with the ship’s systems Taj Pach detects a dimensional gate forming nearby. Firing up the engines they chart and intercept course.
As they approach the site of the gate they see a bust of purple energy, much like the ones that preceded their other quantum jumps, and a ship appears. It looks similar in design to the ones native to the Dragon Empire (i.e. high Tech Level) but is blazoned with the markings of House Seven Stars!
While Taj projects a minor image of the Seven Stars coat of arms outside the Nautiloid tavist notes some small differences in the blazon on the newcomer’s ship. For one thing there is a laser pistol integrated into the design….
The ship stops and after a few tense moments a space suited figure exits the airlock and jet packs over to the party’s Nautiloid. Entering through the force field the figure takes off its helmet and the face of Finn beams out at them.
It immediately becomes apparent that this is “A Finn” as opposed to “their Finn”.
Talking rapidly while he wires a wand like device into the ship’s controls the alternate Finn tells them they are not supposed to be here, they are needed in their home multiverse. From what he relays the Illithids are trying to reshape the entire history of the multiverse so that their empire never fell. If they can do this the changes to Greyspace, Oerth in particular would resonate throughout the other multiverses and the change would affect all of them. In effect, if the Overmind is not stopped it will mean Illithid domination of both this and all other realities.
Wishing them luck he departs for his ship, leaving Taj Pach studiously examining the “D-Wand” he wired into their controls. Tavist leans over to her and whispers, “So its only good for one trip, eh? Good thing you have that techno-magic staff to refuel it with!”
As the alternate Seven Stars ship disappears in a bust of purple energy Taj Pach engages the newly modified Nautiloid’s engines. After several minutes of sensory distortion and physical turbulence they appear in space in close orbit around a fire body. Almost immediately they are attacked, the ship lurching under them as it is impacted by fireballs.
Moments after the first impact a tall, bald human with a van dyke beard appears on the bridge and casts hold person on them, all escape except the xixchil. As Kaolin shouts out “Mordenkainen?!?!” Tavist fires with the laser pistol. The beam of light deflects its course six inches from the figure’s chest.
After a quick but heated exchange which includes Tavist actually managing to tackle the Great Mage they cease hostilities to talk. Seeming to gain interest when they tell him a condensed version of events Mordenkainen tells them he must “remain with the others to defend Liga (the Sun).” Then, with an almost offhand gesture he waves his hand and the Nautiloid is suddenly parked in the Selintan River a few miles outside the Free City of Greyhawk.
It is decided in short order that rather than deal with the reactions they would get from attempting to sail an obvious mind flayer ship into port they should just leave it hidden behind the moon and teleport to the city.
Meanwhile the Bug makes it well nown that she wants a contract……
Take off and park behind the Moon
Backtalk