Chapter 2: Terrors of the Void

This One doesn't really have any altering facial expressions. The only thing is the glow of his eyes.
He is preparing his question, and once it is asked he will dive deep into his mind for the full answer

How do we stop it from happening to other planets?

"The Xaryxian Empire IS the astral elves, fool!" Hastain says, "I would have expected you to be more informed."

"You could say that the elves and I have a symbiotic relationship of sorts. I do things for them and they do things for me," he says with a shrug.

He grins at This One, "Stop it?" he asks, laughing now, "There's no way to stop it. Not unless you can bring down the entire empire with your silly little ship."

This One manages to dive into his mind, but sees that if there is a way to stop it, Hastain doesn't know of it.

"You won't kill me, though," he says, "My ship is alive and connected to me, you know. If it senses I've been harmed, it has ways to disable your spelljammer helm. You'll be stuck here in the middle of Wildspace with no way out."

This One detects no lies in that statement.

You kind have teleporting abilities right? If we drop you off in the astral, you would eventually get back to your ship and we would be long gone by then

🎵
I laughed and shook his hand
And made my way back home
I searched for form and land
For years and years I roamed
I gazed a gazeless stare
At all the millions here
We must have died alone
A long long time ago
Who knows? Not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With the man who sold the world
🎵

Hastain bares his teeth in a snarl, "Just send me back to my ship now and I will leave," he says, "I swear I will not follow you."

Quaxiver had little trust in the words of a genocidal being. He weighed the options presented to them. The One was convinced that Hastain spoke truly, if they harmed the reigar, their helm might be rendered inoperable, leaving them stranded.

"You will come with us to Topolah, we will release you after we reach. Try anything funny and you die, and we'll take our chances with your esthetic." This seemed to Quaxiver the best solution, to hold Hastain as insurance against the esthetic damaging the Second Wind.

Hastain draws his lips to a line and is silent for a few moments before finally nodding, "Agreed," he says tersely, as if being held like this after attempting to kill you all is some sort of grave injustice.

Imti gathers everyone, including Krux, for a brief discussion as Hastain is taken into custody. "So, he was able to teleport from his ship to here," she begins. "How do we know he can't do the same going back as soon as we look away?"

Krux looks unsure, "I don't think we can know that," he says, shrugging, "But do we really have another choice? I don't know much about magic."

"Based on what I know about the reigar..."

"We should at least strip him of anything and everything," says Imti. "Who knows? He might be carrying something important."

"If he wanted to teleport back he would've done so already. But he's still here and bound by us, so that might mean this ability of his is limited, and he'll blink out the moment he's able to. We can take turns to watch him in case he tries anything funny.

Unless we want to call his bluff about the esthetic being able to disable our helm. It's not like he's using us to find his way to this meeting at Topolah either.

Otherwise, let's be off." This was what Quaxiver inferred as he conferred with the rest, and was ready for Krux and his crew to fly off.

"Ziggy, would you like to help me secure the prisoner?" asks Imti, pushing Hastain to the location that Krux said could serve as a holding cell. She begins the process of confiscating small items that Hastain might be carrying, as well as removing gloves, boots, or other garments to leave the reigar with just a pair of trousers and a shirt.

On a whim, Imti tries to grab one of the floating sparkles of light (assuming it is still surrounding Hastain).

This One takes a seat in front of the brig. From there he just watches their captive - nothing else - just watch

Ziggy realizes that the magic that Hastain used to board your ship was the dimension door spell, which only requires the ability to speak. The fact that he hasn't just left either means it's limited in usage or he has chosen not to leave.

Imti attempts to grab the floating motes of light, but her hand passes through without any noticeable effect. She takes the rest of Hastain's extra clothing and any bits and bobs he's carrying, but finds nothing of apparent import.

Why leave the trousers on? Ziggy thinks to himself, but says nothing.

Imti stashes Hastain's belongings in the main cabin, but keeps the trident. She doesn't really know how to use the weapon, but it's something that may have some memory attached since it belonged to a vain and flamboyant individual not named Ziggy. Imti writes down a note and ties it around one of the pointy bits.

On the deck, Imti watches the esthetic to see what happens when the Second Wind takes flight.

Hastain leans leisurely back against the wall of his makeshift prison, not seeming concerned at all about what might happen to him. As the Second Wind begins moving again, the esthetic follows closely behind, apparently ready to intervene if any harm comes to its master (at least if Hastain is to be believed).

A few days later, you come into view of Topolah's home. A crooked tower perches atop a small asteroid, surrounded by a cloud of twinkling cosmic dust.

Through his spyglass, Krux examines the rock upon which the tower stands and the decrepit wooden pier that juts from one side of it. "Mr. Flinch," he says, "ready the jolly!"

The "jolly" turns out to essentially be a space rowboat. Krux climbs in and waves you on board before Mister Flinch releases the small vessel.

Scores of pelicans, mollymawks, and smaller birds nesting on the asteroid squawk as you approach the rickety dock. At the end of the dock, two gray, shark-like creatures fight over the remains of a pelican.

A woman with frayed robes and bare feet sits in a rocking chair at the base of the tower watching the fracas, her face half hidden by a wide-brimmed hat that has a blue jay perched on it. The woman leaps to her feet, brandishes a staff, and snarls, "Go on, git!" A fiery ray springs from her fingertip, frightening away the shark-like creatures.

When you finally land, the woman rushes forward and leaps into Krux's arms, "Krux, you big oaf, it's good to see ya!" she says before allowing him to place her back on the ground, "I see you brought friends. Who are they?"

She turns to face your group, raising an eyebrow at Ziggy, but doesn't say a word about an astral elf setting foot on her asteroid.

"I'm Imti," says the star druid, rubbing her nose absently as though staving off a sneeze. "Captain Krux was kind enough to give us a ride here on account of how we got involved with Xaryxian business."

Zig'gythiel Stardust gets a telepathic message. Be so king to introduce me please. I'll keep an eye on our guest still