Zero Hour

[Bjorn]

Bjorn looks inquisitively (and a tad unhappily) at Mirallia, and then back at Nathan, before sighing.  "All right," he says grimly.  "I'm starting to get very tired of giving this speech, though."

[Brian]

Alec frowns, but shrugs.  "It's only going to make me dizzier," he opines, "but go ahead."

[Rezantis]

"Well."

Rez closes the door and moves away from it to lean against the wall.

"I'm going to request that this doesn't leave the room, Alec, if I may.  I ask because this is going to sound truly bizarre," Rez looks seriously at Alec, "But you know what side of this fight I'm on by now, just as I know what side you're on."

[Brian]

"Okay," Alec says, frowning.  "I'm ready for it," he says, glancing at Mirallia and Bjorn briefly before turning his attention back to Nathan.

[Rezantis]

"Well."

Rez tales a moment to organize his thoughts.

"There are other world out there, Alec, worlds apart from this one. I, Lord Bloom, Bjorn, and some few others  come from another of these worlds.  Our world is threatened by a being we know only as the enemy, as it has been in the past, and as every time before there is a contest - where groups with their own visions of how to safeguard our people compete for the power to make that vision reality.  We ourselves were used by one of these groups to attack the other group . . . but in turn we became aware of what was happening, and joined the contest ourselves - because we all agree that their methods and visions for what to do are wrong."

Rez takes a breath.

"As part of this contest, we have to find three guardian spirits and be marked by them, by entering their dreams.  This world, as linked to our world, is the dream of one of these spirits.  When we arrived here, we only knew a few things . . . that there were reflections of our selves, us but not, in this dream - and we would have to take their roles, and learn what they could teach us."

"After the group escorting Madame Mirallia," he nods toward the aforementioned, "left the temple of Hamar and moved south, they were ambushed.  The orcs slew almost everyone, or so it seemed - Mirallia, Liandral, and I think the bard Durant were the only people to survive.  Then . . . they all woke up, unharmed, and that is where we - myself, Bjorn, Lord Bloom, the Windkeeper Parthipan and the bard Durant - woke and entered this world.  Ever since then, we have been us, not the people we were before . . . we remember pieces of them, we remember their skills, but we both are them, and we aren't them. "

"As to why we're here, well . . . we were told only that we would see what needed to be done, " Rez opens his eyes again, "and what needs to be done is fairly obvious.  If we can stop it, none of us could let the dreadmarch walk through . . . so stopping it dead is what we're trying to do."

"Especially since it was one of our opponents who raised it to such power in the first place.  That is why we want them beaten.  Anyone who would do this sort of thing to further their own aims . . . we won't let them control the destiny of our world, or any other."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn does not interrupt Nathan's speech, but instead watches the other two, gauging their reactions.

[Brian]

"Wait," Mirallia says, frowning.  "It was people from your world who gave the Dreadmarch such power?"

Alec looks a bit pole-axed.  "From ... from further away than Kith?" he asks in confusion.  "How ... how far away is your ... world?"

[Rezantis]

"I don't know, Alec.  I don't know if you can physically travel from here to there . . . that's more of a question for the loremasters than for me. And yes," he nods to Mirallia, "that's what we're told, and though I'm not certain . . . it does make a certain degree of sense."

[Brian]

"Ugh," Alec says.  "I thought fighting the Dreadmarch was bad enough."

[Rezantis]

"No kidding. I believe they've left - they've been seen in our world since, but . . . well, yeah.  The mess they made is still here."

Rez grimaces.

"Liandral and Lindsey, as you saw earlier, those are some of our opponents.  For now, they claim to be here to work with us against the dreadmarch . . . and while I don't entirely trust them, I'll take it at face value for now."

[Brian]

"This is confusing," Alec says, shaking his head.  "But you're against the Dreadmarch, which is fine by me."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn, who has been silent up until this point, nods at Alec.  "We are," he reassures him.  "And if we plan to do anything about it, sleep might not be a horrible idea."  He grins crookedly.

[Brian]

Someone begins pounding on the door at this point, and there's what sounds like a scuffle outside.

Alec grabs his axe instinctively, then looks to Nathan for guidance.

[Bjorn]

Bjorn springs to his feet, putting his hands at his swords, and then nods tersely at Alec as he moves closer to the entrance.  "Open the door," he orders.  "Mirallia, get back."

[Brian]

Alec moves to the door, Nathan just behind him.  Mirallia frowns, but stays in the main room, while you and the others stay in the ante-chamber.

When Alec flings open the door, you see two vassals of Hammar holding a rather peeved looking Lorekeeper.  "I need a healer!" he says.  "Quickly!"

"You certainly will if you keep fighting," one of the vassals snaps back.