D&D 3.5 - Planescape - Red Prison Break Epilogue

A short and bloody battle takes place at the Mercykiller Gulag, while they are creditable warriors they are unable to stop you from reaching 'Ryan' - the prisoner you seek. You discover him, hooded and strapped to a rack which electrifies the body at the flick of a lever. As soon as you have him, (he's drugged, insensible and probably half barmy already) Ruby makes wise use of the tuning fork before the Red Death can regroup. To everyone's relief it works, tearing out a 15'diameter sphere of Porphatys, structure, earth and all, and transporting it directly to the middle of nowhere in the badlands of the outlands, near enough the spire. It must have been powerful magic indeed to work here.

It looks like your now lost in the arid desert, but with Endymion's uncanny direction sense you make for the nearest settlement. A couple of hours walk in the heat gets you to a dusty cattle rustling town called San Sebastian which is very much like something out of the wild west. You arrive, and set up in the local 'hotel' as your released prisoner begins to come around a little. It becomes quickly apparent from the patrons of the bar that the burg is an Anarchist stronghold, which unsurprisingly happens to be your drop off location for your Rev. League high up. Having little choice in any case he is taken into their care, you sense he is being spirited away somewhere even safer for a while to recover and lie low. The Revolutionary League representative thanks you sincerely for your assistance, and says should any of you need help in the future, they'll be prepared to call in a favour for you.

Retiring to a back room of the hotel for a meal and a couple of drinks you are joined, unannounced by Kabel, the organised crime Consigliere. He pitches up in a smart dark and undusty suit which tells you all you need to know about where he's just come from. He formally congratulates you, indicates that your bar and hotel bills will be taken care of should you wish to celebrate and dishes out the envelopes and writing paper for you to each provide your requests to the birdcages crime high-ups, if you havent already. As you all get on with writing those he removes a small jewellery box and counts out some diamonds with tweezers for each person, examining them with an expert eye until you each have jewels to the value of about ten grand. (For those of you who have the first idea about telling the difference). These he places in envelopes as well which he slides to each person.

'Once I have your envelopes I must get back to the cage, you can expect a response within a week, depending on the ask. Your gate back home is in the fence outside the general store, a tuft of horse hair will get you as far as the Guildhall Ward, its two way and works only during daylight hours. You know, if you cutters formed some kind of formal partnership you could charge serious gelt for your work, I am sure your services would attract customers. Let us know, just a thought.'

Kabel gathers up your scribblings and places them in an inside pocket. 'We'll be in touch with you individually about these, our gratitude once again.'

With that, he leaves your gang in privacy. You regard each other over the table, laden with basic but good food and a lotta lotta whiskey.

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An opportunity for you all to converse about what's next and generally roleplay it out. - email me with what I need to know individually from your PCs. Ill probably pass some time after this conversation before handing over to Trom, its kinda up to him though and we'll discuss it.

For a minute or two there is silence, punctuated only by the sipping of rough frontier town rotgut, or water for those who prefer.

"Well." Says the Githzerai, Tza'rok, finally breaking the silence. "It's clear we each have our skills. It might even be true that our skills complement each others."

"We were thrown together in the birdcage with a mission. Each given a part of the required information so we would have to work together in respect of the different factions and their interests. And the job has been completed."

"So, I trust everyone will understand that I intend no disrespect when I state that we have some interesting differences of style and personality which may make any permanent arrangement difficult. We can work together, but the question is, do we want to?"

"I'll be heading back to the cage tomorrow. Frankly mercenary work isn't really my thing and I really have no special desire to be in some kind of corps of mercs for hire. I'll be hanging out with Ruby and at the Explorer's guild as usual waiting to see what comes along, I guess that includes Zamael too."

"Tsiena, if you want some help getting set up with a kip or whatever else finding your feet in Sigil, I'll be happy to help. No doubt Ruby will too."

"Endymion, you might be a long lived son of a bitch and some kind of badass motherfucker where you come from, but out here you're dogmeat. Still, you make a pretty good guide and you're good in a fight. If you think you can restrain your desire to piss off every powerful planar you see, I'll let you know if anything crops up of interest. Assuming you want me to, of course, let me know where I can find you. Same for you Shay, if you keep in touch."

"And that's all I have to say on that subject. Speech over."

Ruby stares at the bottom of her whiskey glass for a moment, then pushes it away from herself and picks up a glass of water, before half nodding and half shrugging around the table.

"Well.. you about said my feelings, Taz, I suppose..." she says in a distracted manner, before sipping her water than putting the glass down.

"I'm no mercenary and don't work for coin, although I'm happy with some travel, exploration and maybe a little adventure... as long as it doesn't drag me to the lower planes often, or at all if possible.."

"As said, ask around and if the pair of you are canny enough to find and get yourselves into the Guild of Gentlemen Explorer's then perhaps, if the right circumstances came up, there could be some working hope between us all."

Ruby then turns and smiles to Tsiena, "You however are very welcome in my eyes to join us in future, in fact, as I offered upon entering Elysium, I have a large town house in Sigil and I'd be happy to put you for up for the time being and show you about the city, teaching you about her, if you desire?"

"I live there mostly alone. Zamael uses a room from time to time and would be glad for the company about the place" she finishes with wink.

Tsiena sits and listens intently to the conversation, nodding her head along when first Tza'rok, and then Ruby both offer to help her get set up within Sigil.

"Indeed it would be nice to recieve some assistance while I meditate apon my next actions although to be perfectly honest, your company is refreshing as for a long time I have been wandering alone. I wish to return home, to see my father and pray at the alter of Procan but I do not know the way."

She sits for a few seconds, staring at Tza'rok before smiling.

"You are all welcome to join me of course. My father will be most welcoming. Once I have prayed I can tell you more of my intentions but until then I do not know what my God has planned for me."

She scratches the back of her hand and looks a little uncomfortable with the whole situation, being so far away from her God and her father.

Ruby looks at Tsiena for a while as she speaks, finally raising a single eyebrow.

"Sorry, you don't want my help then? Regardless myself or Taz can show you to a portal back to Merresentia if you wish, it's two way and ends up about twenty minutes or so from the little town that had all the trouble." she offers, eyebrow still raised.

"However, since you really just got out here, maybe it would be a good idea to stay a while, familiarise yourself and expand your horizons a little. If you don't want to accept my offer of hospitality then that's fine, I'm sure we can find a nice suitable inn for you to stay at, perhaps the Golden Gate would be to your liking."

Ruby sips her water again whilst glancing between Tza'rok and Tsiena.

"I suppose just let me know, the offer is open for a while." she says in a somewhat unamused manner, before then looking between the Githzerai and Yugoloth Lieutenant.

"When we get back, you two want to come back to mine for a drink and meal? I'll get an order out from Mundo's. Can chill and discuss in the garden." she asks, now smiling between the pair.

Tsiena looks at Ruby and smiles.

"Please, I think you have gotten me all wrong Ruby, you're offer of hospitality is very very much appreciated and I would love any assistance that you could give me. I mearly meant that I would love to see my father and that I should Pray for answers as to my next course of action."

Tsiena picks up a glass of water and sips from it, pausing for a second before setting it back down.

"Although, He did visit me in the night when we were in Elysium and told me to assist you in your current course. Maybe I should stick around for a while."

Ruby merely smiles at Tsiena for a moment perhaps in thought, before looking quite happy.

"Oh I'm sorry, Tsiena, you only spoke of going home after my offer, so I took it as dismissed. I hope you take me up upon it and either of us..." she says motioning between herself and the Githzerai, "Will be able to show you home, assuming the portal hasn't broken down yet" she says with a smile, before adding, "Which I'm sure it hasn't".

"All of that aside, I don't hope or mean to speak for Him, but surely your deity had some hand in you being out here and eventually meeting us? Whether destined to meet Taz or someone else... and that with the vision you say you had? Well, I suggest you stay! However I agree with that you should visit your father..." she says finishing in a reserved tone.

"You never know what you've had until it's gone, you know?" she says slightly sadly, but looking happy enough.

Zamael twists and turns a boiled egg on a fork, marvelling at it this last five minutes or so. Abruptly he sets it down.

'This meeting sounds like something I would like to do. I will come. I also have some questions for Ruby and Tsiena about milk.'

Zamael breaks into a bit of a monologue, running through his thoughts it seems.

'The dark eyed elf is a precise navigator and an excellent shot. Za' is right, he will meet something before long that will simply eat him for his insolence. But if he can master his pride he could be a valuable ally.'

'The ugly elf has his moments and seems to be some kind of dazzler. He seems worth persevering with also.

'The god-slave is well trained in battle and I see she seems to raise morale in others by being... I am not sure of the word. This is interesting to me and I would like watch this more.'

'The remainder know each other well enough already. Ruby, as we said before I am willing train you and make you less easy meat. I do not need paying but it must be done as I say it. You will find it hard.'

'Ill need three hours a day, five a week for eight weeks. That would be the minimum for it to be worthwhile.'

Zamael looks up at the group neutrally, the closest he seems to get to happy as anyone has seen so far.

Tsiena looks at Zamael and smiles although his comment about her being a "god-slave" doesn't sit well with her. She turns back to Ruby and nods to her.

"Indeed .. I just .. I miss my father."

She sips from her water again

"I guess I can wait a while..."

Endymion regards the group impassively one by one before breaking into a slight mischievous grin and finally speaking.

''I'll admit the reward was my primary...no, my only motivation for taking on that little mission of yours, but it turned out to be a most entertaining diversion, so by all means, should a similar opportunity present itself in the future, feel free to contact me and I will consider accompanying you once again. I may even look into association with this explorer's guild of yours, if I am to get properly set up as a planar hunter, I will require some kind of base of operations and an explorer's guild sounds almost ideal''

Shay examines the jewels he as given then looks up with a slightly softer scowl than usual

"Well, this should provide me with new dwelling and a few other things and if these people pay like this all the time, I'd be willing to do other jobs for them."

He pockets the jewels

"It is clear to me though that if I'm to continue to go gallivanting all over the planes, my current abilities are insufficient. Is there someplace in this city to study further in the magical arts?"

"May I also suggest a mask" She states bluntly at Shay.

"Not that i think you should be ashamed of how you look but more for the sake of others who have to look apon you. Remember those poor little children who you scared off?"

Tsiena sits back in her chair, looking around the table before suddenly looking shocked.

"Did I just say that? My appologies..."