Return of the Captain (Scene/Episode 2) Keltos

Keltos hurriedly leaves the meeting when dismissed. Not out of anger or frustration, but of excitement. He was not expecting the silent alert in the midst of battle but non the less the alert was received.

Returning to the Veritas Keltos removes his helm and a moment later a section of his artificial skull to reveal his living brain and an implanted mnemonic matrix. The tiny artifice, a fusion of magic the technology resembled a tiny iridescent jewel. A jewel that now slowly pulsed a vivid green indicating its algorithm had been fully trained and was ready to initiate.

"Initiate protocol BR549 Infinite Horizons, Authorization Keltos Gamma"

Tiny glass like threads blossomed from the jewel like a million legged spider before snaking deep into the grey matter of Keltos’ consciousness.

Oblivious to his surroundings Keltos shivered and seized, his mouth a froth while his mind soared. "Colors…..so many Colors…." Was all his mind could comprehend before the black….

Keltos’s fluttering eyes signaled his return, sitting upright and then standing Keltos stretched and moved through a series of exercises designed to test his manual dexterity. Satisfied he begins to visualize mathematical tables and probability matrixes…His minds eye calculating and recalculating faster than ever before.

The upgrade a success Keltos mood is lifted. Time to have a little fun. Topside Keltos addreses the ship and crew "Veritas on my count, open waters full speed. All hands brace for ramming speed on 10…9…8…7.."

"Captain. Permission to speak." Marcus stands ready and requests.

At Keltos granting, he says. "The crew and me have some concerns about taking the Veritas out of dock. When we arrived here last night, if it truly was night, we didn't steer her in. We all suddenly appeared in this small lagoon and were signaled to this dock." He points out across the waters toward the mouth of the small lagoon and the impenetrable wall of darkness that surrounds the entire area. "Using the glass, it seems the waters at the edge drop off into the dark of the nothing."

"Veritas, hold position" Pausing Keltos turns to the burly Bosun and gives him his attention, "You are right of course, I let the moment take hold. A wall of black you say? We are here for the mysteries of the multiverse. Lets take a closer look shall we."

"Vertitas, take us to the border and hold."

Once at the border/dropoff Keltos begins to examines the enigma, visually at first and then experimentally with long poles, flaming arrows and such. Lastly Keltos takes out his crystal ball and uses it in an attempt to pierce the inky black veil.

As a cartographer he also tries mapping the edge as accurately as he can. Does it follow the contours of the landscape... or does it follow a regular curve....can he even detect a curve. If he can detect a curve, then through math (Sage, Probability & Statistics specialty ) he should be able to calculate how big of bubble he might be in.

In game terms... are we inside of a bubble...if so how big is the bubble.

His demon of travel, Veritas, obediently positions itself close to the edge of the small lagoon and holds there. Keltos, Marcus, and those members of the crew on deck, can see that the water gushes over a drop, like a massive waterfall. The darkness that surrounds everything begins not far beyond the edge. Curiously, there is no sound of the water crashing below.

Keltos quickly determines that T'Lorn is within a roughly oval-shaped demi-plane. A rather large one, but a demi-plane none-the-less. He also, by the fact that there are at least a half dozen other ships in the harbor, that somehow these vessels may have a way to get through the barrier, if they are making runs outside of TLorn for supplies.

Most interesting…says Keltos "It is as I suspected of course. This is a Demi-plane. My concern however is how do we leave. More time will be needed to understand the laws that govern this place. Until then we may well be prisoners here. From earlier conversations I get the impression that one cannot simply come and go as they please. We might need a Key."

"I suppose sailing is not in the cards tonight. Lets get the crew some of that shore time I mentioned earlier."

Returning to the docks Keltos and crew disembark. He instructs the Veritas to lock down, patrol the tiny inlet avoid contact with strangers until their return.

Keltos believes the common men are the best source of knowledge when it comes to their city. Not lords, or courtly attendants but commoners. Where lords and ladies are the all consuming mouthpiece, commoners are the life blood a beating heart.

"Evening to you, Captain Keltos." Marsh greets the cybermonk. "Your goods have been safely housed in the warehouse."

"I see that, nicely done and my thanks."

"My visit here this evening is a less about cargo and more about shore leave. You see my crew and I are new to T’lorn. Obviously. Yes, I could probably be sipping wine and swapping stories with the council but what I really want is to experience the city unfiltered. I want to see the real T’lorn and hear your stories."

"So what do you say Marsh, close shop for a little while and show me and the crew a good time? Drinks are on me."

"You've got yourself a deal, Captain. I've been look for an excuse to duck out this evening." Marsh responds.

"JACK! Up front! Mind the warehouse! Heading out for the evening!" He turns to his left and yells out.

Moments later, his arrival heralded by a racket of shuffled crates and bangs of objects being moved around, Jack appears through the door in the back of the office.


"Sure thing, Bro." He replies.

Outside, Keltos give the crew instructions for the night

"Have good time but don’t overdo. If any of you are late for shifts I’ve given Charlie creative license to make sure it doesn’t happen again."

"Let me introduce you to Marsh. He’s going be our host. Remember we are guests in his city be respectful and follow his lead. We don’t want trouble and I shouldn’t have to remind you what goes for fun and games in one port will get you hanged in the next."

"Lead on!"

Turning left from the front of the warehouse, Marsh takes another sharp left down a narrow street and then a third left beneath a colorful blue banner draped across the avenue overhead. Continuing a short distance, he turns right. To either side of an open doorway are wall murals depictiing two mermaids entwined.

Over the threshold of the open door is a weathered sign that reads The Mermaid's Dalliance.

Stepping inside, Keltos, marcus and crew find a tavern with a distinct nautical feel. Ahead is a bar with a lone blonde wiping down the counter.



Directly behind the bar is a large cylindrical aquarium that rises all the way to the ceiling. Two medium-sized sharks swim about in the tank.




"Syrena, love! Evening to Yah. Drinks for our newest arrivals. They're on Captain Keltos, here!"

"Evening, Marsh, you Bastard." Syrena replies to the warehouse man, then glances at Keltos, Marcus, and the rest of the crew of the Veritas just entering the doors. "What'll ya have, ladies and gents?"

Glancing to Marsh for second before turning back "I'll have his usual, and one of yours. Ive never seen sharks in a tavern before. Did they come from around here?"

The blonde bartender waves all of her new patrons inside and starts pouring drinks. She looks up occasionally between pours and answers, "Beauties, those." She juts a thumb up over her shoulder. "Got caught in some fishing nets when they were smaller. A Captain brought 'em through a few years back and traded 'em for a couple rounds." She gestures toward the front doors. "Plenty of food out in the bay there to keep 'em fed proper."

Syrena slides tankards across the bar to the first up and keeps pouring.





Framed paintings, many featuring mermaids and other aquatic creatures, are scattered about the walls of the tap room. This one is hanging on the wall to the left of the bar.

"Speaking of the bay its bit crowded and I would like to strecth my sails a bit but Ive come across a navigational hazard. How does one actually find deeper waters around here."

Syrena

"You will need to speak with the Harbormaster." Syrena replies to Keltos. "He'll likely be round afore long. All approved vessels are fitted and modified with a beacon to allow them to pass through the barrier."

"I look forward to meeting the Harbormaster." Says Keltos between drinks "I saw some other ships in the harbor, are those merchant or supply ships? From what I’ve been told and from what I’ve seen so far, T’lorn gets very few visitors just popping in for a few drinks and then sailing off to the next port"

"All the ships in the harbor are owned and captained by locals who make their home here in T'Lorn." Syrena says. "They bring in supplies for the survival of the city and its people. Of late, the regulation of travel in and out of the barrier has become noticeably stricter. We're told that it is for our safety and that enemies are trying to breach the city's defenses."

"So essentially, we are like those sharks swimming in circles. What happens when they get bored?" Says Keltos putting down his drink, "There is a multiverse out there beyond that barrier you know. A million million worlds full of life and wonder. When was the last time any of you left the city?"

"You assume they get bored." Syrena replies, as she wipes a spot on the counter. "They are fed regularly and are taken out for long swims as well."

"As I have already said, the travel restrictions outside the city have only become as they are recently. Something big and bad is brewing out there. I have not left the barrier surrounding T'Lorn now for a couple years."