While the some of the senior officers were away, the Eternal Wanderer sat quietly in the cool, calm water of a wooded cove on the southern coast of Farbay. The ship's crystalline hull reflected the colors of autumn like a mirror. One had to be very close to the ship to see it. Several members of the crew took advantage of the five day shore leave. Some took to visiting the village of Maplegrove, while others simply rested on the ship or in the adjacent camp.
Others took the time to think quietly. Tabatha Cherna was one. For several hours she sat on the roof of the Wanderer, thinking. She pretended to be meditating, but her mind was too knotted up to meditate. Her thoughts were dominated by two men. One of them clearly fancied her. The other...
"Tabatha, I think we should talk" Ville said from behind. Tabatha turned around quickly and looked at Ville. He was wearing gloves and a bandanna that matched his black leather cloths.
"OK," she said quietly, "lets talk." Her eyes were cold and hard.
"What do you really hate about me?" he asked. It was largely rhetorical, but he had to start somehow.
Tabatha paused.
"You're xenophobia," she said. "I've never made a secret about that."
"I think it's something more," Ville responded.
"And what makes you so smart?"
"You're exhibiting the same characteristics as I am," Ville stated plainly, "only your manners are less controlled. I think you're just as xenophobic as I am."
Tabatha started to snarl.
"Do you see me walking around the ship looking accusingly at every non-human on the ship?" she asked.
"No, but I see you constantly examining everyone and everything. You have never told anyone what you really are, yet..."
"I am a warrior of the Tigera Shogunate," she hissed.
"But what kind of warrior?" Ville said sternly. "Only one type of warrior uses the kind of weapons you do, Tabatha Cherna. A warrior who is trained to strike silently and without mercy from the shadows. A warrior who is..."
Tabatha roared and lunged at him, but Ville was quick enough to grab her wrists hard in his gloved hands. The look in her eyes was one of pure hatred.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right here and now," she hissed, in a hushed whisper.
"Because we are somewhat alike." Ville paused. "Why do you practice the craft you do, and why are you in space?"
Tabatha forced herself to control her anger. Ville knew what she was, or at least he seemed to. That was reason enough for her to kill him. But, he was also Phantom's best friend. Phantom and Ville had been distant for the past few weeks, but Phantom was convinced that Ville was a noble man. It was for Phantom's sake that she didn't reach for a weapon.
"I was forced to take part in a war I wanted no part of," she said quietly.
"Why is that?" Ville asked.
"Agents of an old enemy came to destroy my world," she explained. "Out of loyalty to the Shogun, and of fear for my home, I became what I am, and helped to make my world safe again."
"What if you had not done so?"
"... Tiger's Rock might now be in ruin. I don't know."
"So, external events forced you into space, to protect your home, and now you remain in space to make sure it never happens again?"
"Yes."
Ville paused and looked at her. She didn't look as dangerous as she did earlier, but she was still angry.
"I was taken from my home world by slavers and cast into space. Those same slavers destroyed my home village. For two years I was traded back and forth from one slaving race to another. Living in constant fear can do a lot to one's psyche."
Tabatha didn't say a word.
"You distrust me because I remind you of those who tried to destroy your home, and the fact that I nearly did just that has reinforced that destruct. I distrust those who are different from me because of what they did to me. I have enough physical and emotional scars to outshine even Onestar. So before you go around condemning me, look at yourself for a moment. We are more alike than you think."
Tabatha finally calmed down. Ville was right. She was being just as narrow-minded about him as he had been with some others on the ship. Onestar said that prejudice didn't belong on the Eternal Wanderer. It was her time to try and leave it behind.
"Phantom is having difficulty with this," Ville said quietly.
Tabatha just nodded in agreement.
"For his sake we should try to get along. We don't have to be friends, but we shouldn't be foes. Phantom has a lot of demons in his past. If he were forced to choose between us..."
"I know," Tabatha whispered. She looked at Ville for a moment. "Part of my code requires that I keep people at a distance. I'm finding that more and more difficult... at least with him."
Ville looked off at some pine trees in the distance.
"He may understand that better than you may think."
The two of them continued to watch the red and brown trees sway in the gentle autumn wind.
Elsewhere on the ship, Illeria was perched in one of the weapon windows looking out over the cove. Phantom saw her and quietly walked up behind her.
"Illeria?" he asked.
She just turned her head and said hello, without revealing any emotion to speak of. Phantom leaned against the wall near the window.
"Illeria," he said, "I'm sorry about the pain I caused you, but..."
"Don't," she said. "It's not like you had any real choice in the matter. You can't lie to yourself."
Phantom just nodded in agreement.
"I've been lying to myself for a couple of years, and it finally caught up with me."
"What?" Phantom asked, confused.
"I'm a mess," she said. "My biggest problems are all in here," she added, pointing to her head.
"I can understand that."
"Really?"
"Yes, better than I care to."
Illeria nodded.
"I'm not sure that we can be friends again," she added sadly.
"I understand," Phantom said quietly. He then looked out the window at the cove.
"My mother is from this world," she said. "Someplace called the Grissariet Archepellico. Her folks were mariners."
"What does your father do?"
"Today? He sits on his butt and collects interest on his investments." She chuckled. "He used to be the captain of a spelljammer, based in Zakarah."
"Is that how he met your mother?"
"Sort of." Illeria rolled her eyes for a moment. "Dad lived here for about three years, operating a big depot near Watergate. Mom was doing something similar for her families business, and they dated for a while. When Dad was recalled to Toril, he was given a month's advance warning. He and mom went on a wild trip into the mountains." She smiled. "That's how I came along."
"Oops," Phantom said with a grin.
"My grandfather was ready to kill my dad. In the end, mom and dad got married a few days before he left for Toril. I was born in Waterdeep, two days after we landed on Toril. Dad stopped traveling after that. He and mom pumped out another five children before they ran out of salt."
Phantom nodded. Illeria was still staring out the window, thinking. He quietly said good bye and walked away. Illeria, now back in the dark corridors of her troubled mind, hardly heard him leave.
Elsewhere, things were a little more relaxed. On a large, sunlit rock about two miles from the Eternal Wanderer, Kath and Slyssia were enjoying the warm, afternoon sun.
Slyssia was laying flat on her stomach, bare as a hatchling, while Kath slowly rubbed a wax-like substance all over her smooth, scaly body. Kath never figured he would find the sight of a bare lizardkin arousing, but there is a first time for everything. He was only wearing a loincloth, and it was becoming uncomfortable.
Kath started to rub in some more of the wax. He gently rubbed as if he were polishing a live-sized figure made from the finest jade. Slyssia had a glazed look in her eyes as Kath worked the wax farther down her back.
Slyssia let out a long, low hiss, then rapidly rolled onto her back, grabbing Kath as she went. She quickly reached down and undid the chord that was holding his loincloth in place.
Neither of them noticed much for a while after that.
At one point Slyssia opened her eyes to see a Tradesman fly overhead!
Crystal and Belieth were leaning over the rail, waving to the two on the rock. Slyssia and Kath, embarrassed as hell, quickly dashed into some nearby bushes.
"You two are terrible!" Onestar said, laughing.
Crystal and Belieth had spied the two on the rock just before the tradesman started descending into the cove. The Wanderer was hidden in some trees up ahead.
"The look on Slyssia's face had to be seen to be believed!" Crystal said, her face red with laughter.
"I'm just wondering what they will have to say when they get back to the ship," Hall said quietly.
Everyone on the deck started to laugh.
The tradesman "Saran's Rest" landed in the water near the Wanderer. This particular tradesman was equipped with pontoons for landing in water. Such was a common modification, at least on Cartania.
Everyone who had been at Traxoth's tomb was now at the Wanderer. After some long debating, it was decided that everyone would travel to the tower of the Nimar in the Eternal Wanderer. That was where Cherry would attempt the transformation to a full Nimar. It would be a long and dangerous trip, but it was necessary.
While Hall and Onestar showed their guests around the Wanderer, Kath and Slyssia quietly boarded the ship.
"Did you enjoy your afternoon?" Belieth asked, imitating a little girl.
Kath somehow kept a straight face and kept walking. Slyssia stopped, looked at Belieth, then stuck her tongue out with a raspberry noise.
That night, while everyone was eating dinner, a small, wooden object landed on the muster deck. Brein Fleetfoot was the first to look it over. He called to his brother. Zebart emerged as well, and approached the wooden object with a device he called a "stethoscope." He placed one part of the object on the object, and the split end in his ears.
He shook his head, confused.
The object looked like a dragon, but it had numerous scratches on it so it was hard to tell. Zebart called for Blaise.
A few minutes later, the arcane gently lifted the figurine up and examined it. He touched a jewel on his belt and it started to glow with a soft, red light.
"It radiates magic," he said. "Lot's of it."
"Hey what's that?" Brein said, pointing to something on the underside.
Blaise turned it over and saw a tiny latch.
"Hall, Onestar" he called, you might want to see this.
A few minutes later all of the officers were on the muster deck looking at the strange wooden dragon in the starlight. Cautiously, Blaise opened the latch on the underside of the figurine. A small scroll was inside, and it was addressed to him!
"It's from Hypathia!" Blaise said, his face brightening. He unfolded the scroll and slowly read it. His face became very serious. He then handed the scroll to Onestar.
Onestar read the scroll, then handed it to Hall.
"The elves were putting on a show all along," Onestar grumbled.
"So they didn't leave the sphere after all?" Belieth said.
"No. They just stepped aside so these Green Sash characters, their shock troops, could soften everything up."
"It also looks like someone is after Hypathia," Hall added, handing the scroll back to Blaise.
"She had a turn-coat on her ship," Blaise muttered. "She's currently stranded on the Playards."
"Rotten place to be stranded," Hall commented.
"Cherry?" Onestar asked, "will we be passing the Playards en route to the tower?"
Cherry walked over to one of the charts and looked.
"Yes we will," she answered. "But let me warn you, the Playards are very dangerous."
"I know," Onestar said, "but if Hypathia doesn't get back to the Conorg with her documents, the Muldravians won't get the equipment on time, and Montrazar will gain the upper hand."
"I say we leave in the morning," Hall suggested.
"Any objections?" Onestar called.
No one said anything.
"Start breaking camp and prepping the ship. We leave at dawn."
That morning, Tempest stood on a high balcony of Castle Maplegrove and watched the Eternal Wanderer ascend into the sky. She was still too week to travel. She wanted more than anything to come on this trip, but the injuries she had suffered on Beacon were still only partially healed. There was some fear that the damage would be permanent. Only time would tell.
From the muster deck of the Wanderer, the members of the Silver Osprey party watched their world descend below them. Hall and Belieth were clearly in their element. They had worked on the Wanderer for quite some time. For them this was, in many ways, just another launching.
Bagath and Cherry were also well. Bagath saw time as one continual scroll. Where he was and where he was going never seemed to have any effect on the druid's calm aura. Cherry on the other hand, was filled with anticipation. She was finally going to confront what she had been working so hard for: the transformation to the ranks of the Nimar.
Likewise Djan and Gaye. As before, the two visitors found themselves very welcome on the Eternal Wanderer.
Darlena appeared a little nervous. Karl was grumbling as always. Gordon was silent, showing no emotion at all. He had ceased to feel emotion several years back. If death were to come and claim him at that very moment, he would probably welcome it.
Blaise was in the library. He had been thinking about Omnispace. Reality had finally caught up with him. Clusterspace was destined for the same fate. The arcane was beginning to wonder if there was anything he could do to stop it. Could he let his home sphere be destroyed, even if he had a slight chance to save it?
Shauna Fleetfoot entered carrying a platter of small, round pastries.
"Here, Mr. Pascal," she said quietly. "Chocolate chip. Your favorite."
Blaise looked up from his work.
"Thank you, Shauna," he answered. The halfling started to leave...
"Shauna?" Blaise asked.
"Yes sir?"
"How are you feeling?"
Shauna paused.
"Terrible," she said. "Everything I knew was destroyed, and there was nothing I could do to stop it."
"If you could have stopped it?"
"I would have, even if it would have killed me." At that the halfling walked out.
That settles it, Blaise said to himself.
Onestar entered.
"What the heck are you doing?" he asked.
Blaise arched an eyebrow.
"I'm studying the formula for Monitor's Atmospheric helm," he answered. Onestar became slightly alarmed.
"Monitor won't like that, and..."
"Frankly," Blaise interrupted, "I don't care what Monitor thinks. He has a design for a helm that can out-perform a standard helm in atmospheric conditions. There is no way in the universe that I am not going to figure out how he does it, and there is nothing you can do to stop me."
Clearly, Blaise wasn't going to be reasoned with on this. But then again, helm design is Blaise's life work.
"Well, it's just..." Onestar started.
"It's just nothing," Blaise said flatly. "This formula could undermine the arcane industry, and I won't allow that. If Monitor thinks he can keep the formula a secret, then he's the biggest damn fool in the Radiant Triangle."
Onestar was taken aback and Blaise's words. He was basically saying, "yes, I taking the formula, and you can't stop me."
"I can see why it was difficult for him to make the helms," he said, pointing to one of the pages. "He relied on a variation of a permanency spell. Granted that works, but it's very costly, even for a Magi."
Onestar was still scowling. Blaise became aggravated.
"Don't give me that look," the arcane said. "Let me tell you something. The only reason I didn't sabotage your psionic helm work was because I knew you would need the help of an arcane. Now I have a new helm formula here. I may not like the GATH, but I'm still an arcane. When I see an opportunity to develop a new product, I take it, and the hell with anything else."
Blaise then started nibbling on a chocolate-chip cookie as he went back to work. Onestar decided not to push the issue any further. Then again, Onestar could tell that something else was bothering Blaise, so he decided to let things be for the moment.
For six days the Eternal Wanderer traveled through Wildspace en route to Karadex, the third planet in the system. The stop would be only a few hours, just long enough to inquire about the situation in the Playards and inquire about Hypathia.
The main port on Karadex was a city called Mt. Kardras. The city was built atop a tall, narrow mesa that rose nearly three miles above the ground below. The city had been built by dwarves in search of mitheral many years ago. The city was so high that the mesa couldn't support it any longer, so air and water had to be "pumped" up from the lower elevations.
The Eternal Wanderer docked in one of the numerous pools in the crowded water docks that were carved into a huge cave below the city. Most of the crew didn't leave the ship. Blaise and Onestar went to the Spelljammer's Aid society to gather the information they needed, while Hall, Belieth and Crystal dealt with customs.
It was while Hall was signing some papers that every hailing crystal in the city went crazy. Every person in Mt. Kardras saw the image of an elf appear on the crystal.
"I am Admiral Falconbane of the Imperial Elven Navy," he said. "As of this moment, every spelljamming power in the sphere of Solaris will answer to the authority of the Elven Navy."
At that, laughter broke out from all wards of the city, especially from the sailors at the Muldravian navy base.
"Those who do not accept this new order will face the consequences," Falconbane continued.
Hall looked up at the hailing crystal in the customs office and scoffed.
"He sure talks a great show," Hall said. "I'll grant him that."
"I like the way his medals offset the color of his skin," Belieth joked. She then looked at Crystal. "Do you know this jerk?"
"I know of him," Crystal answered. "Typical bully."
"As a demonstration of our intent," Falconbane said, "observe."
The image in the crystal transformed into one of the Playards; Playard 4. Four man-o-war flew rapidly through the image and toward the small planet. One of them was barely visible above the light brown orb. Something large flew from the man-o-war and entered the atmosphere of the planet. The man-o-war came back into view. Another one appeared on the opposite side of the crystal.
On a section of the small planet, a huge explosion erupted like a volcano. A pulsing, yellow light began to spread over Playard 4. After several minutes, a large section of the small world was engulfed in the growing wave.
Crystal began to shriek in hysterics....
"NO!" she cried "NO! NOT AGAIN! NOT AGAIN!" She collapsed to the floor, crying uncontrollably. Belieth bent down to comfort her. Hall continued to look at the crystal in horror.
Falconbane's voice returned.
"The magical substance is called Mosaic," he said, "and we will use it on any world that refuses to acknowledge our superiority. Mosaic will ultimately destroy this world and everyone on it. We could have just as easily chosen Cartania. Remember that."
The image went dark.
The Muldravians were angry beyond words. Every ship bearing the standard of the elven navy was now meat to be wasted.
The Spelljammer's Aid Society moved quickly. It wouldn't be long before news of this world-killing weapon would travel through the known spheres.
Rumor was that the United Illithid Navy was expecting this to happen some day.
From a bluff on Playard 2, Hapathia, Timmons and Cassandra Spellbinder watched as the small brown world in the night sky turned into a pulsing, yellow ball.
"So," Hypathia said, "it has finally come to this."
From his throne on the Spawn of Grienwuld, Te-Ess'Arr watched Playard 4 transform. It wasn't the transformation he was interested in however. He was waiting for the next phase in the process.
"Any moment now," he said to himself. The yellow wave covered more and more ground, until finally the entire world was covered.
"Now" he thought excitedly. "NOW!"
Nothing happened.
Every arcane on the bridge began to look frantically at their instruments, looking for a sign.
"Arprus!" Tereza said, "did Blackleaf receive his instructions?!?"
"Yes m'lady," Arprus said. "He even sent confirmation when the spy was planted! The compound should be taking effect!"
"What is wrong?!?" Te-Ess'Arr thundered as he descended from the dias.
"M'Lord," Tereza said, trying to find an explanation, "everything was according to plan. The controlled test went perfectly! The alteration should be taking effect right now!"
"I want an explanation," Te-Ess'Arr roared, "and I want it immediately!"
"You will have your explanation, arcane fool," a scratchy voice said. Everyone turned around to see a well-dressed, skeletal form sitting on Te-Ess'Arr's throne.
"Montrazar," Te-Ess'Arr hissed, "you agreed not to interfere in my plans!!!"
"The deal was mutual, Arr," Montrazar responded. "You didn't uphold your end of the bargain!"
Several minotaur guards ascended the dias to converge on the lich. Montrazar merrily moved his hand and all of them exploded. Bloody fragments of their bodies flew all over the bridge. The smell of death and decay consumed the bridge in seconds. Te-Ess'Arr wiped a piece of minotaur guts from his face and looked at Montrazar in horror.
"Your plan was clever, arcane," Montrazar said, descending the dias. "Having your agent modify the Mosaic matrix so that it would transform the planet into a gate into the demi-plane of gravity. I believe the phenomenon is called a black hole?"
Te-Ess'Arr didn't speak. The other arcane just looked at the lich in fear.
"We agreed," Montrazar said, "not to violate one another's plans. Starting a war between the Muldravians and the elves was a good idea. I liked that. It makes things easier for me. Allowing the elves to use Mosaic was also good. Before long, every power in the sphere will be striving to destroy them. But, if you plunged all of Solaris into a black hole, then my plans are ended, and you agreed not to interfere with me."
"Montrazar," Arr hissed in anger, "I..."
"YOU WILL NEVER SPEAK TO ME AGAIN!" Montrazar roared. "You will only listen."
Montrazar walked around for a few minutes, looking at the blood-stained workstations on the bridge. He picked up a minotaur horn, which had some kind a blue matter attached to it—probably brains—and threw it at the dias. He then stood before Te-Ess'Arr...
"You may have been able to trick Colicor," he said, "but not me. Colicor was a fool. His meglo-mania was so great that he had no sense left. I on the other hand, have learned to temper my ambitions, and use time to my advantage. Your plan to use Mosaic to create a black hole was painfully predictable, and easy to counteract. Shortly after your agent altered the matrix, my agent killed yours, then changed the matrix back again. The elves will continue on their rampage, but it won't last much longer. In fact, by now Admiral Falconbane will have received the information he needs to rat out all the sympathizers you padded in the navy. The elves will soon collapse from internal descent, at least in this sphere. Only the Muldravians will be left, and without the help of Hypathia and her company, they will be much easier to deal with."
Montrazar walked around for a few more minutes, then focused on a large, couch-like structure near the back of the bridge: the planejumping helm. He raised his hands and released a beam of black energy. In an instant the helm disintegrated.
Te-Ess'Arr rose to protest, but Montrazar turned around fast and faced him.
"You will have to leave via conventional spelljamming, arcane. If you want to maintain the timetable for your scheme in Clusterspace, you will have to leave right away."
No one moved.
"Let me put it another way," Montrazar said quietly. "I'm giving you a chance to escape. Solaris is to be my empire, not one of your economic conquests."
The lich looked long and hard at the various arcane on the bridge.
"Get... out... of... my... sphere!"
In a flash of dark blue light, Montrazar vanished.
For several minutes the bridge of the Spawn of Grienwuld was totally silent. Finally, Kob spoke to one of the few remaining minotaurs.
"Have maintenance come and... start cleaning up," he said quietly. The minotaur bowed and walked out.
"Your wish, m'lord?" Tereza asked almost timidly.
"... to the spherewall," Te-Ess'Arr whispered.
"M'Lord?" the navigator asked.
"DO IT!" Arr shrieked. The conventional spelljamming helm was manned, and the massive ship started to move.
"I can't win this one," Arr said to no one in particular. "I'll be back for you some day, Montrazar the Enduring," he swore under his breath.
In truth, Te-Ess'Arr knew that the lich had outsmarted him. There was nothing more he could do here.
Several days later, Te-Ess'Arr's ship passed through one of the pyramid portals and out of Solaris. Te-Ess'Arr would never enter Solaris again.
