The party assembles via Skype to ponder the wonders of the planes…
To rendezvous with the archons, we return to the giant tree where they found us before, and we wait. For about 7 hours.
As the sun is coming up, we see the lantern pillars casting long shadows as the sun rises behind them.
2 Solluxes show up. They are different from the last ones. Chunkier, not as handsome. They beckon, “we have a chariot waiting for you. Chariot appears. space for 7 people. 2 Sollux already in the chariot. There is space for three, efrim, utna, and al.
They bring forward another chariot for the undecideds. They ask each person if they are still considering, and Iustal lies and says he definitely is (and everyone else just agrees).
We aren’t blindfolded this time. We are brought to the ground to the lanterns and the fortress. The person that comes into view as we arrive is seated at a tall chair – more than 300 feet tall. It is actually a structure, the piers holding up the armrests are towers, filled with life and activity.
As we get closer, we get warmer, until it is almost unbearable. They fly us to another structure that looks like it is made for a 1000 foot tall giant. It looks like a headrest, a hard pillow, about 40 feet tall, made of perfectly smooth stone. There are three in a row. The male archon we met is there. He waves his hand and places a protection spell over us so that we can endure the heat, and then he hits us with purity bolts.
“I’ll see you when we get to the meeting place, but you are about to see our defenses. I hope they will provide you with some assurances as you ponder your decision.”
We fly over the defenses. Lots of things on the chair, giant sized ballistas, with flaming bolts, glowing with intense bright lights. Solluxes everywhere. Quite a bit of this detects as immortal magic. More structures with ballista style machinery, cross-shaped floating in the air. More archons, more chariots. With the protection spell, we’re able to get fairly close to a lantern pedestal. There are signs of other people having been there, chalk for climbing, for example.
They take us to a valley behind a hill… and ask us to put on blindfolds. When they are removed, we’re in a room alone with the same two archons we met before. Plush chairs, a small artificial sun. Everything is embroidered, themed. The female says she is surprised to see us all, but very pleased.
The role available for people that will accept their contract:
Vssgon Minder, Champions of the Glorious Sky Lanterns
If you agree, sign a contract in jade tablet which will be broken, which means it’s enforceable.
An enforceable contract means archons will show up* to make sure you keep your promise, if you are called and fulfill.
*Closing of the worlds means that exalted creatures can’t enter forbidden planes, so this is an interesting scenario on the prime.
Rules: spend six months training, learning weaknesses of vssgon, learning to use weapons, “more than you could imagine”. After 6 months, you are free to leave, but you have to return every 3 years for a 6 month tour of duty.
You will be cast out and punished if you provoke the Vssgon intentionally or unintentionally.
Lackshmi has questions… If we agree to the contract, is there an easier way to enter the plane than through Humbawa’s forest?
Archon: ah, you’re thinking of leaving the plane. There is another node, but there is a price to pay for using it. The archon points it out on the map. It is behind the dark mountain.
Efrim: so what’s bad about that? What’s behind the mountain?
Archon: so you don’t know about the mountain, the people here haven’t warned you? Time does funny things there. It’s very geologically active. Giants go to observe, and they come back much later…. You spend 2 hours “in between”. The rest of the universe could make you 2 months late, or 2 years.
Carrock: so we might be late for our appointment…
The archons have a way to negotiate Humbawa’s forest. They have devices that could create the effect of the comets, in turns of opening the gate, so we could get through without provoking
Lakshmi: if there was an agreement between the vssgon and the gods, any idea between whom, and when?
Archons (cagey): there was an agreement, but the terms of the ceasefire are implicit. The vssgon is constantly playing with the terms by sending out her children along the lava. So they come close to the lamps, and the archons slay the workers. That doesn’t seem to make her upset. But she hasn’t tried to approach the lamps for at least five centuries.
L: part of my decision rests on how much time I want to spend on this plane. I’ m interested in the history of the plane.
Archon: well if you’re interested in history, what’s not to like? It’s the birthplace of humankind after all.
L: are you the first archon with this duty?
Archon: well we have families, and other obligations. At the archon meeting, we swap duties. Sometimes more frequently too.
During the six months, do we have to be here?
A: some days you have to be here, other days you just have to be on the plane. We have ways to summon you from anywhere on the plane.
L: could we be on the Triumvirate?
A: could be, but it doesn’t seem worth losing an avatar just to talk to you over there (i.e. opening the node in Humbawa’s forest).
Efrim: why does humbawa guard that spot?
A: Humbawa is a servitor. He was created a long time ago for the purpose of guarding that node. That’s what he does.
Efrim: there is a legend that Utnapishtim did it.
A: that’s false. Humbawa is from the sphere of water. Utnapishtim is a hero of Thought and Air. I’ve heard there are rumors of that going on on that side. And it doesn’t surprise me, knowing those people.
We talk about the spheres that are involved in the plane – it is governed by an immortal council between Thought and Energy. We discuss the possible conflicts with immortal enemies. The archons tell us that Maree is not involved. Entropy is not involved. Joining would curry favor among gods of those spheres, if you honor them. Also you want to not be enemies with the gods of Time, because you have to come and go through the Triumvirature, which is tied to that sphere.
Later, two champions come in. Female human, named Kora, 27th level magic user, from Citadel. Came to research the lamps, got to know the people, and stayed.
Second is a male taint, named Chal, 33rd level thief, taint, from Fell.
Why did Chal come here? Heard there was a thriving civilization that preserved the ways of the people. Discovered this way onto the plane with a cleric of Yoichig. Been coming back and forth for about 20 years.
Q: what do you do here?
A: we do drills, but that doesn’t take up a lot of time. Playing games, talking, and we get to leave and do projects. If you leave the lamps, you have to be prepared with an alibi to give to outsiders. The people on the plane can’t know your role here.
Q: how many of you are serving at any given time?
A: not many, usually two of us, and as much as four during the two weeks of the changing of the guard. And then some archons and servitors. If the party joins they will increase the number of champions in attendance to three and occasionally four.
Q: have you learned a lot talking to archons?
A: yes, of course. You’re bored, they are bored, you talk. And they are magnificent creatures.
Q: what about the training?
A: you learn how to use artifacts. You learn how to anticipate immortal level power attacks. It’s fantastic. They give you artifacts to use while you’re here.
Al: I’d like to learn to use the artifacts I have better.
guy: oh yes, they would love to help you with a puzzle like that. There’s plenty of time while you’re here.
Utna: so, how afraid are you really about the vssgon?
-the two are pretty forthcoming.
Kora: terrified.
Ef: why? Carrock: have you seen it?
Kora: no but we’ve heard stories. they have the power to make immortals despair. The agony of intelligent life becomes clear to you. They have inspired exalted creatures to commit suicide.
I’ll give you just one story, and that’s all I can handle. There was a warrior who went with the group to the mountain. The people from this plane are crazy like that….
They discovered she has two mouths. one in her stomach and one in her head. She devoured them all at once, and then vomited them up in parts, still alive. He saw his best friend’s head screaming in agony. Even her arms are frightening. They chase the warrior in his nightmares, stretching out to grab him.
I hope we never have to meet her. I get some satisfaction out of going after the workers though.
Q: what about the workers? Why are they eating, what’s with the emeralds?
A: it imbues the emerald with some kind of properties that they don’t have otherwise. The lamps are made out of the same properties. This material is used for the rarest of artifacts.
You know there’s a captive somewhere in the mountain. Some people check up on her from time to time. It’s primarily the gods of entropy that check on her. The gods of entropy seem to be on good terms with the archons here.
The archons will tell you that gods come from time to time, and you’ll be lucky to see them. But I think they come more often. Every once in a while we’ll get a visitor, and it is quite clear they are someone important. She always has some story, which the archons back up. But I think they are here for the material. I think the archons collect the material that they find in the bellies of the archon workers and sell it to the gods.
Efrim: so we could just turn down the contract, and kill vssgon workers, collect the material, and just sell it to the gods?
A: well I think the archons would be offended if you moved in on their territory. And rightfully so. They are doing just work, and need to fund it.
Ef: true, true.
Can anyone go visit the captive?
She’s trapped in a mirror made out of the same material that the vssgon manufactures. I don’t think the vssgon would let anyone else near it.
It makes the archons nervous when a god of entropy pokes around, but there must be some kind of agreement. The god of entropy would rush to the aid of the archons, if it came to that.