Urfengar: Planes Hopping

Seeing that everyone was well, we made our journey back to Brindenford to present the Earl Blackthorne with the riches we'd promised. As we passed through the city, it was clear that black armbands had become quite the fashion statement. About one in every three or four people had one on. Seeing as how we'd been set upon by folks wearing similar niceties, it made me a bit nervous.

Regardless, we wound our way through the crowded streets up to the Baron's keep to meet with Blackthorne. He treated us nice enough and asked that we attend a banquet for a more formal presentation of his new funds. Jackle showed resentment at the thought and required a direct order from his liege, but in the end, he agreed to attend. I was just happy to hear there'd be true dwarven ale served, nothing like the taste of home to make a dwarf feel appreciated.

The food was delicious, and I was really enjoying myself until a guard burst into the room and ran up to the Baron. There was some whispered conversation, that was followed by people scurrying between the door, the Earl, and the Baron. Eventually, we learned that the Baron's sister had been forcefully taken from her quarters, despite the presence of armed guards all around. They, of course, had heard nothing. The local High Priest of Pelor was brought in for some divination spellcasting. He indicated that the Baron's sister had a special family necklace, and he could sense its presence some distance outside the city walls.

The Baron pled with us to help him recover his sister. The bonds of loyalty between family members seemed to strike a chord with everyone in the group, so, despite hesitations, each of us agreed to the task. Kitya and Vanya went up to the Lady's rooms to get her scent for tracking purposes, and once they were done, we headed out in the direction the priest had indicated.

Two days of tracking led us down the main trade artery a ways, before heading up into the mountains. When it became clear the kidnappers had traveled into a deep cave, we left our horses (and my pony) outside where the grass was plentiful. I had a feeling I wouldn't see Pony for a while, so I took off all his accoutrements and set him free to prance around.

We traveled a long time under that mountain, and if I'd been focused at all on what we were doing, I'd have known that there was something very peculiar with that cave. We reached an exit to sunlight far too soon and decided to go back for the mounts - only the path had changed behind us. I'd have staked my beard on the fact we'd passed no offshoots, but there were many as we backtracked. Rather than rail against the fates, we decided to make do on foot and entered into the sunlight.

As we left the shadow of the mountain, things started to get a little woozy, like maybe all the human filth they pass off as ale had finally gotten to me. When I got my bearings again, the mountains were no longer behind us, and a looming black tower stood before us. Worst of all, the fox could no longer detect the kidnappers' scent.