Log:Rift Crisis II, Scene 1

Rift Crisis II 2019/01/18 Blok Fortune Ghost Riot Sentinel Titan Kattag Niddik

1

This series represents the main thread of the Rift Crisis II plots (i.e. those run by Anastrophe), but a number of other scenes also relate. -

Some year and a half ago, some dwarves from the Twilit Realms intended to open a portal to Earth to enable direct trade. The fae at the Undermoon Embassy were concerned that they were not being careful enough, and that harm might be done to the fabric of reality. In the end the dwarves grudgingly agreed with the city not to open the portal until the mages of Undermoon approved it. Undermoon has given its go-ahead; the city is expected to finalise approval in a week or two. 

A few minutes to seven on Saturday morning, the mystically sensitive in the city are abruptly woken - or otherwise alarmed - by a huge 'disturbance in the Force', one might say, centred on Buckingham Gardens. Strong enough its location can be determined even by those whose mystic senses are usually not very precise. Indeed, even the more sensitive sorts among those not mystically inclined get a feeling of something strange.

Ghost jolts awake. Turning toward the direction of the disturbance with quickly clearing senses. Nothing. Well, nothing local. Throwing back the covering she nudges her companion, "Trouble!" and starts dressing.

Fortune spent most of his times in parks. They were a nice, natural space, public to all, and most importantly were legal to loiter in, which was important for someone who was 'technically' homeless.

Titan wakes when Ghost nudges him. "Trouble? At this hour?" He gets up and gets dressed. He only needs a couple of hours of sleep a night, thankfully. He finishes dressing and ties his hair back, out of the way. "All set."

Fortune therefore, decided to spend his morning at Buckingham Gardens. He left a little before seven from the shelter he was staying at, strolling along, trying to act casual and avoid too many weird glances.

Blok still newcomer Colonial Bay. Still learning new home. Blok take long walks early morning and evening, go new places, see new things. This morning, Blok see Buckingham Park first time. Blok sit on bench, watch birds.

Ghost flops back on the bed once dressed, seeming as if 'there's nobody home'. Which is accurate as sge astrally scouting. After a few seconds her eyes open. "In the park. Buckingham Gardens?" She remembers the classic film Titan and she watched the evening before, "A disturbance in the force. As if a million voices cried out in alarm and were silenced. Can you fly us there, Titan? I'd rather not use magic until I have a better idea what's happened."

The birds approach Blok. People who sit on benches often throw them food, no matter what they look like.

Trouble never sleeps or takes days off- that's why America's SuperSoldier Griffin Freeman keeps to just 1 hour a night, or 1 night a week depending on how the week's disasters are laid out.

He's soaring up and away from his Handwarmer+'s apartment, about to do a high speed patrol lap around the city before heading up the East Coast for the next hour before zig-zagging across the US Northern border before heading West.

His first stop in the park is resolving a young girl who's balloon escaped her clutches. Her crying is hushed quickly by the sight of Griffin appearing out of no where as he reaches for it.

Titan nods, "Sure." He and Ghost step out to the balcony of his apartment, and he closes the door. He then takes a hold of her, and flies off, heading toward the park. They get there in a matter of minutes, touching down by the entrance to the park.

This is lush green park surrounds an inlet of water which appears to be a lake, but is in fact and arm of a creek open onto the bay itself. Water-lilies float on its surface, while flowering bushes and shrubs dot its edge; numerous benches allow one to sit and enjoy the view. Large trees of various species surround the "lake" providing shade for the recreational area. Fields of flowers are seen in the clearings between some of the trees, providing a vast array of color everywhere on all directions. The recreational area has a baseball diamond, a soccer field, a children's jungle gym swing set, and several covered picnic areas.

To the west the trees are more numerous, forming pleasant wood. In the north the land climbs in terraces up to Colonial Heights, where the old mansion of the Buckinghams still stands, a separate property now, since the family lost their fortune and were forced to sell both house and garden. The southern terminus of the Main Street MagLev line emerges from underground near the house; it is designed to blend with the landscaping of the park.

Blok sit still, like stone - not want disturb birds.

The birds sit on Blok. One of them decides to relieve itself.

The park looks different today. And not just because of the birds perched on Blok on a bench. There is, off to one side of the park, a wide stone arch, labelled in gold letters 'DWARVEN EMPORIUM". The arch is occupied by a broad counter, manned by two dwarves. Wares on sale are displayed on the counter, and many more goods can be seen in the room behind them. The room that can only be seen when looking at the arch from this side.

Even at this time, the store has attracted not a few curious customers!

Ghost points out the dwarves to Titan, "There. Dwarves. Little bugge.. No doubt some are good people. But... well, something is wrong." No bias there.

Fortune looks at the arch, circling about it to examine the strange effects of it up close. He squinted. This reeked of interdimensional technology or somesuch, and it hasn't gone unnoticed that whenever this stuff crops up he usually is forced to punch a few faces. He couldn't believe the locals just had a portal... plaza thing. Still... may as well pop his head in, not that he could buy anything considering his opposition to the mere concept of work, but hopefully they didn't mind window shoppers!

Ghost shakes her head, blinking as the mere sight of the portal through elven eyes gives her a headache. "It's like they've just ripped a hole through reality, Titan. It's unstable. Simply asking for disaster."

The items on display are hugely varied: one gets the sense they're trying to test the market for various items. There are mechanical watches, very expensive-looking jewellery, clockwork toys, stuffed heads of unearthly animals, various foodstuffs, exotic furs....

Blok see people fly into park. Blok say, "Goodbye friends" to birds and walk toward arch.

The birds fly away alarmed as Blok moves.

Titan sighs as he hears Ghost's first take on the dwarves. "Well, if the gate is unstable, perhaps we can help them shore it up?"

Blok see people fly into park. Blok say, "Goodbye friends" to birds and walk toward where flying people go.

Ghost shakes her head even more firmly. "No. That's one of the problems. The gate is stable. Very stable. It's in danger of ripping our reality apart because it will remain open even while everything else is torn and shreaded."

The two dwarves at the counter are already doing a merry business. One of them is unusually bright and chirpy, for a dwarf.

Fortune frowns seeing all the dead pelts. So gauche... don't these people know the ethical way to get furs and hides is to artificially grow cloned matts of the stuff without a nervious system? Leads to higher quality too...

Titan rubs his temple. "That...doesn't even make sense, Ghost."

The Colonial Bay Sentinel, Griffin Freeman knows this park pretty well and one thing he's pretty certain it didn't have a DWARVEN EMPORIUM when he was here last. So after returning the young girl's balloon he moves towards this emporium to investigate.

He comes to a gentle landing before circling around himself. He nods at Fortune before following his line of sight to the pelts. He makes a sympathetic nod towards the anthropormorphic rabbit.

Of the approaching heroes, it's Blok who first gets the attention of the dwarves. "Oh, hullo! I didn't know there were any trolls on Earth!"

Ghost says, "It's.. hard to explain in non-magical terms. Like.. You have earthquakes on earth, right? A totally rigid building will break the ground around it and fall because the foundation is ripped apart. A flexible building will stway but remain standing. That portal is the rigid building."

Blok says, "Blok not troll, Blok Korlon. What planet tiny man from?"

Titan nods slowly, still not quite understanding. He shrugs and goes to take a look at the shop, "Well, perhaps if you explain your concerns to them, it can be fixed. Just...try to avoid the typical elf sort of response."

The dwarf laughs behind the thick blonde beard. "I'm not a man, I'm a woman - a dwarf to be precise. Our world is called Gloaming."

Ghost manages a faint smile at that comment from Titan, "You mean arrogant, aloof, and overbearing? Too many years working at the Embassy."

The other dwarf chips in. "We're from the Kingdom of Guk-Madduk. Or rather, we're still in it. Earth starts on that side of the arch."

Blok says, "Dwarfs on other world? Have permit?"

The second dwarf wrinkles his nose suddenly. "Fae." He casts his eyes about the crowd darkly.

Titan nods to Ghost. "Exactly what I mean."

"Of course!" says the chirpy dwarf, and unrolls a scroll.

Blok examine scroll.

Ghost is moving toward the portal, "Well I could try the human approach. Shoot first and ask questions later." she tells Titan half joking. Half.. joking.

The scroll is in parallel columns, English and something else (runic). It gives permission for the business, the interdimensional tunnel, etc, and is signed by King Madduk XXXIII.

Titan snorts. "I've only ever fired guns when I'm on set." He steps through the portal and looks around.

Blok says, "Have permit from city? From StarGuard?"

Titan looks around at the wares available. "Hmm."

"It's a royal charter! We don't need anything from the city," she says.

Blok says, "King Mad Duck not rule Colonial Bay. Need permit."

Ghost approaches, "Actually you do. Good day to you. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Jilliin Narillon, from the Undermoon Embassy here on Earth."

"Oh, you mean *your* city! It's all right. We aren't in your city."

Titan sighs to himself as he realizes that the dwarves are playing a semantic game. "I seem to remember something similar about a year ago."

The other dwarf mutters something into his beard. "Let me guess. You want to shut us down. Fae, bah!"

Blok says, "Gate in city. Need permit."

Griffin sees StarGuard and the Undermoon Embassy seem to have this covered so the SuperSoldier resolves to just stay nearby (within earshot) just on the off chance that they need backup. Looking at the big one though, he doubts it.

He's clearly never tangled with a tribe of Dwarves before.

Ghost smiles. It's an effort but she makes that effort. "No. But you need to have approval from the City to engage is commence here. As the Dwarves of Dar-Hamal have done in preparation to open their trading place."

Blok says, "Not see 'Dar-Hamal' on scroll."

The old dwarf grins toothily. "As we said before, we aren't in Colonial Bay. We are within the borders of Guk-Madduk. The conditions imposed on our competitors do not apply." Clearly they've researched the competition!

Griffin smirks at that before chiming in, "Well, how about showing the Earth-side paperwork to erect the archway in a city park?"

Fortune nods back to Griffin. He felt like this hero understood his ethical stance on this issue, not realizing he probably thought weird about having a pelt himself and seeing a bunch of pelts.

Titan sighs. "The gate is in Colonial Bay. Therefore, it applies. If you want to be particular about it, I could pick kup a car and throw it at this arch. I mean...I'd be doing so in my own city, right? Shouldn't be a problem for you?" Yeah, he was lecturing about being diplomatic. But it's early in the morning.

Blok says, "Show StarGuard permit for gate."

The dwarf smiles. "The arch is precisely an eighth of a nobuk inside Guk-Madduk."

He turns to Titan. "You could, indeed, you could. Of course, that might be construed as an act of war...."

Blok says, "Could place car in front of arch."

Fortune looks about at the 'negotiatons' and thinks about getting involved.

Fortune walks over to the bickering group. "I don't think it is productive to talk about attacking people over this disagreement..."

Titan shrugs, "Would it? I mean...I would just be throwing something in my own domain. If it ends up someplace else...well, that doesn't seem like my problem." He shrugs again, "You're missing the point. You've created a gate. If that gate creates a problem and destroys something here because you people didn't follow proper procedure and do it correctly...there will be a reckoning."

Ghost says, "But your trading is crossing the portal boundary. And of course Earth laws do apply to the goods you are importing. Finally, I'm sure you don't want to destory your nation, possibly the entire realm of Gloamming. Which the type of portal you have opened is capable of, and is likely to do. Obviously you have knowledge of your competiters. In which case you should also have found out their portal needed to be modified to be safe. The Embassy is prepared to assist you in so modifiying your portal while you gather the required certificates from the city."

He looks up at Blok. "Yes, yes. No doubt, many things could be done. But we are here to trade in the interests of both of our peoples. Why are you so opposed?"

Ghost smirks as she hears Titan's approach. Dwarves! Only way to talk to them.

Blok says, "Blok not opposed. But need permit."

He sneers at Ghost. "Nonsense! Gloaming is most solidly founded. There is no danger to it from this portal."

"As for tariffs - yes, of course, such things are to be expected. We are willing to negotiate the matter with your officials."

Titan looks to Blok, "Are you a part of Starguard?"

Ghost's words catch Griffin's ear and suddenly make this about far more than just permits. "Does it pose any danger to the Earthside of the gateway?" He asks her with a face doused in urgency.

Ghost has run out of patience. She tried. "Either you shut this portal down, and the Embassy will assist you in making it safe to re-open. Or we'll shut it down for you. And in case you think that's an empty threat, my full titale is Adept Warleader Narillin. You might ask the Goblins if I issue empty threats.

The dwarf actually pales a little.

Blok shows Titan the insignia embroidered on his vest. "Blok member of StarGuard Gamma."

Titan nods to Blok, "Excellent. Thank you." He turns back to watch the interaction between Ghost and the dwarves.

Fortune looks decidedly uncomfortable with the threats, but holds his ground. Instead, he looks over to Blok.

Ghost's reply give shim all the answer he needs. His eyes flash two orders of magnitude brighter as he summons his energy from within in preparation for things going South.

He turns to the woman Dwarf and makes a face that says "I'd hear the woman out. In the end, your wares are just going to be destroyed. You've got StarGuard..." He points to Blok before throwing a thumb at Ghost. "And this 'Warleader Adept' from the Embassy. I don't imagine she got that title polishing swords and sorting pelts."

Ghost glances to Griffin. "Yes. The portal could result in both the realm of Gloaming and Earth being obliterated."

He bows his head. "Well met, Adept Warleader Narillin. I am Kattag son of Nattag of the house of Zattag. I had not known I was talking to one so... notorious. But I must say that shutting it down is not, hm, practical. The gate is too solidly built. It's not the sort of thing that can just be turned off."

Fortune folds his arms, looking around back to the goods being sold, while keeping an ear to the conversation. This seemed like a too many painters in the studio situation... and to be frank this confrontation was somewhat upsetting. Hopefully everyone would figure out a good solution to this problem, but he was still close enough to claim being a part of the talks. It was his duty as The Champ, after all!

The woman says, "Oh, there's no reason to get belligerent. We're just here to trade. Is there nothing hear that you'd like? This necklace, perhaps?" She's noticed that the jewellery tends to be getting a lot of attention from potential customers.

Blok says, "No permit, no trade. Unsafe gate, no trade. Get permit, fix get, then trade."

Ghost moderates her tone now she is getting some cooperation. "There are human mages and the Embassy futy mage who have worked with Bahar of Dar-Hamal to make their portal safe in operation. Will you accept their assistance in so making your portal?" She adds after a moment, "The Embassy duty mage is a bit on the arrogant and aloof side. But he is competent."

The male dwarf squints and his eyes darken under bushy eyebrows. "The gate is absolutely safe, I assure you. It's dwarven-built!"

Blok says, "Not know dwarves."

"But..." he goes on....

"... if you feel the need to shore up your side of the gate, then of course, we have no objections. And we naturally would offer our services for the work."

Titan sighs. "It's your damn gate. I can assure you, the government here isn't going to pay you to fix what you might have broken." He might be a bit overly optimistic about that to be honest.

Blok says, "Dwarf gate, not Earth gate. Problem with gate Dwarf problem, Dwarf responsibility."

Ghost points out, "The advice from the human and Embassy mage is, however, freely given. No cost to you."

The dwarf considers that, his eyes still narrowed. "Very well, we will hear what they have to say."

The SuperSoldier doesn't dare yet breathe for fear of somehow violating the uneasy agreement that seems to have been struck. Luckily he can hold his breath for a while.

Ghost turns away so as to not cast a spell in the face of the dwarf, and summons up a messenger. A 4ft tall white furred bipedal rabbit wearing a tux and top hat appears. She instructs it to go to the Embassy and inform the duty mage and Princess Linande of what is happening in the park.

Blok says, "Where meet? And when?"

Griffin fights the urge to ask Fortune if they're related.

Blok look from messenger to Fortune and back.

Fortune looks around the group as everyone is staring at him. "What?"

Ghost says, "I've sent a message to the Embassy. The Embbasy will contact the human mage. I expect an answer within a few minutes."

Kattag nods. "Very well. Now, can I interest you in anything? Perhaps some essence of almwort?" he says to Ghost. "It eliminates that annoying human odour," he says so quietly that only those with enhanced hearing are likely to hear."

"Oh nothing." Griffin says to Fortune trying to hold back a wry smirk.

Blok says, "Permit?"

Fortune frowns. He didn't like the fact some wizard had a white rabbit as a spectral servant of some kind. Everyone knew such things were bad omens...

Kattag says to Blok, "If you require a permit, then kindly tell us how to acquire this permit. Hrmph. Is it acceptable to sell to customers who step inside our kingdom?"

Titan remains quiet for thee time being. It looks like things are more or less in hand.

Blok says, "Go City Hall. Ask clerk. Blok not know all."

Kattag says, "And you have no objection to my passing the border to do this?" He seems to be looking for a trap.

Blok says, "Blok not object. Blok willing escort if needed."

He nods. "Very well, lets us go at once. Niddik, mind the store."

Griffin looks surprised this all went so well. He decides he will take a look at the jewelry on display, thinking that Katrina Prince might like something he sees.

Ghost smiles, "That's for the city to decide. But I cannot see anyone objecting." She shrugs, "I imagine some of the trade people at the Embassy will be angry with me for saying this, but if your portal is safe that ends my concean and interest. Except possibly as a customer. My sole concean is for the safety of this realm of Earth, and also the safety of Bloaming."

Not unlikely! The jewellery is not only expertly crafted, it has larger gemstones and more precious metal than one is likely to find on Earth.

Fortune, feeling things were resolved safely, picked up an especially odd bauble to examine it more closely.

The dwarf folds back the moveable part of the counter, and says to Blok, "Now, good sir, show me where this City Hall is."

Griffin admires the craftsmanship of a silver pendant with a large & well cut light violet stone in its centerpeice. He looks up and asks, "So how do people pay? On earth we have cash and credit cards, chips and blockchained betacoins. I'm not entirely sure how that last one works but they're everywhere now. Do you take those?" He inquires to Niddik, store minder.

Blok guide dwarf to City Hall.

Niddik says, "I'm afraid we can only take cash, or barter, so far. Of course, we intend to take all manner of payment as soon as we can arrange it. But we've only just opened!"

The dwarf clearly takes an amused interest in the local architecture as he goes along with Blok.

Titan chuckles at the mention of barter, but it was kind of expected.

Blok says, "Taller. Fall easier."

Blok says, "Also, not always for safety of people."

Not long after Kattag and Blok have gone, the magicians turn up. Those sharp of hearing will learn some excellent fae swear words as the embassy mage looks at the state of the local fabric of space.

And it's then a scream comes from the woods...