A Horse By Any Other Name (Part 6)

One Month after the Summer Solstice (Seventh Moon, 1000 ALB)

Ra'ziir follows along beside Foil Hat, "What makes you think this 'Abacus' knows anything about planar travel?"

The conspiracy theorist replies, "Oh, he's a wizard, knows all kinds of things about conjurations and summonings. If he doesn't have your answers, he'll probably know who to ask."

"My little ponies!" Grotto winnies, "The confection shop is this way! How can we expect to confront this unknown on the word of the paranoid pony? We should surely go to this confectionery and get some information from another source. Are we to trust this one only because it was the first we encountered? More information is needed! We should fill our bellies, get reliable corroborating information there! Are we to blindly trust this one to lead us to a trap in the vulnerable state we are in?!" Grotto insists. "Plus that is where these phillies are!" Grotto thinks to himself.

Grotto continues to plead with the group, "It is not wise to take the word of this one alone! We can all see he is three stones short of a gauntlet! I don't trust we are making a good decision with such unreliable information!" A feeling of uneasy paranoia fills Grotto. Normally he would not be bothered to follow a stranger into dark places, much blood gets spilled in the depths, much honor goes to the War God Hanseath there. Grotto feels vulnerable in his pretty pony body with little in the way to defend himself but a naked body of fine fur. "We must get better information before we carry on! We are being set up for a trap! To the confectionery!" Grotto sternly insists!

Raven snaps at Grotto, "I have seen no reason to suspect treachery from Foil Hat and while he may not present as the most reliable or mentally stable creature I have ever met, at least He doesn't seem determined to sabotage our attempt to leave this plane and regain our bodies with needless pursuits of the flesh."

Kysek half listens as he tries to recall what he learned during his own magical apprenticeship back in Evereska. Of course, he was not an eager student, often cutting class to run with a "bad crowd", but there are several spells that would enable the group to escape this dimension from Plane Shift to Gate, but one that would also restore their original bodies at the same time would require something akin to a Wish.

Cedron quietly murmurs to himself as he walks along behind the group. "There's so much we don't understand. Perhaps the properties of our items are still present in some way?" He rears up on his hind legs, reaching for the sky with his forehooves and concentrates on flight, commanding his Cloak to propel him skyward but nothing happens.

Drax responds to Niklas in his usual quiet speech.  "Stay calm, notice is drawn by erratic movement as much as any other factor.  Let's follow this strange little... horse... and see if this Abacus knows the answers we need.  If we need to fight we may be in trouble,  then again,  have you ever been kicked by a horse? We might be just fine." Drax explains continue to follow the group.

Nik nods in agreement with Drax’s suggestion. “The talk of planar travel doesn’t seem to shake the group, have you all traveled the planes previously?” Nik asks Drax as they follow Foil Hat.

Foil Hat leads the group to the edge of town and a modest, square tower that looks more like a single large stone block made from many smaller stone blocks than a home.  The very odd pony doesn’t even knock on the door.  He just walks up and pushes it open with one foot and boldly strides inside.

The inside of the squat block of a building is scrupulously clean and organized.  The entry chamber is a small kitchen.  A fairly large fireplace is built into the east wall.  Cabinets and countertops for the storage of flatware, cleaning gear, and food preparation line the walls at both eye and waist (or would it be “chest” considering everyone has been ponified?) level.  A niche carved into the wall beside the fireplace holds an ample supply of firewood.  A stairway built against the west wall leads up to the second floor.  An archway in the back of the room leads into a bedroom with a small privy.

Foil Hat heads directly for the stairs, bidding everyone to follow him.  The second floor is made up of one single room.  A single massive bookshelf runs along the entire north wall.  A brass chandelier hangs from the ceiling in the northeast corner of the room directly above a table made of polished cherry wood.  Rough hewed workbenches abound in various locations of the room and are used for the storage of research equipment.  An engraved magical circle is located in the center of the floor.  Several blackboards hang from various spots along the remaining walls.  Each of these is covered in arcane formulae and notes.

A yellowish unicorn pony wearing a black tie and long white lab coat is standing in front of one of the blackboards.  There is a red “∑” symbol on his flank.  His horn is glowing with a light blue aura and a piece of chalk levitating in front of him is surrounded in an energy field of the same color. 

The unicorn looks up as the group begins to pile into the room, confusion written plainly across his face.  “Foil Hat, what the hay is meaning of this?”

The party’s unusual guide smiles and replies, “Abacus, I have brought some guests who need our help….” 

 - - - - -

• Cedron: 79% health;

• Drax: 100% health; Nondetection (lasts until about 10 pm), Undetectable Alignment (lasts until about noon tomorrow)

• Grotto: 74% health;

• Kysek: 100% health; Half of the Tome has been read, Fly (7 minutes, 9 rounds remaining)

• Niklas: 84% health; 

• Raven: 80% health; 

• Ra’ziir: 73% health;

• Shadow: 97% health;