[PQ] Lost between the pages of a good book

Chapter 1
Salutations and Introductions
The Notice had been posted to the board, but that didn’t lift any of the concern from the white-haired Lorekeeper’s shoulders. He had been exploring the Atheneum as much from necessity as curiosity, seeking farther into its depths as he pursued the books he so desperately needed: on demons, on barriers, on Long Nights, and gods.

And he’d been coming across an unsettling trend as he trod dusty corridors between leaning shelves; paths that hadn’t been walked anytime recently since there were no tracks there but his own. There had been things left on the floor, or draped over rotting chairs. Coats, gloves, small packs and, once, a doll. After finding several such stashes – left as if the owner had simply set them down while they perused a book – he had begun nosing about the nearer sections, the ones that saw more traffic and were in generally better repair. And discovered the same pattern. Items that might have been forgotten, if anyone on Caido could afford to forget something as important as their gloves or scarves in the killer cold. Packs of personal gear from outlanders, he assumed, like himself – packs they would never have willingly left behind when they had so little to their names in the new world.

All so very similar to how Samuel’s gear and his own had been left lying, forlorn, when they’d been sucked into that children’s book. That story had ended well, releasing them when they had vanquished the villains and rescued the princess.

He’d been asking around, using his position as evening entertainment at the Rathskeller to do what he did best – gather information from the locals. Finding out who had gone missing and where they’d been heading when last seen. Some had gone to the woods or the outskirts and never returned…

But some had only gone to the Atheneum, to retrieve or return a book.

And, it turned out, he and Samuel weren’t the only ones to stumble upon a hungry book. A few others – very few – had encountered similar adventures, and had been willing to talk of it after a glass or three of whiskey and some attentive coaxing. Like Samuel, they’d largely found it traumatic. But unlike Samuel, not all of them had completed their tales. They’d done something wrong, made one mistake too many—Died, in shock and pain. And been spit out, even without reaching their true endings. Returned unharmed, except for the mental scarring.

But something in the Atheneum was making people disappear, without traces of blood or struggle. Just… gone, only their nearby belongings to show where they’d been. And they weren’t being returned within an hour or two. Or a day. Or longer, if the dust on some of those items was any indication.

So something needed to be done. Not simply because Jigano needed to be able to explore the Atheneum without fear of getting ‘disappeared’ as well, but because it was right. And while he thought highly of his mind and his skills, he wasn’t so overconfident as to assume he could do it alone. It had taken him and Samuel together to finish their first book, a relatively innocent children’s tale.

He suspected that if it was, in fact, a sentient book that was the problem— that this time, it would be no gentle fable. He’d need help, as much as he could get. However much it hurt to ask it. However little he wanted to rely on others again like that.

So he waited, expression calm but heart in turmoil as he stood at the appointed table, nodding to those who found their way to join him and offering a smile of welcome, balanced with a sober speech.

”Thank you for coming. I appreciate it, truly. I know it must sound a bit unusual, but let me assure you: the danger of some or all of us not returning – at least not anytime soon - is very real. So please, be very certain before you join me in this hunt.”
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Welcome to my first PQ! Hopefully it’s not too rough around the edges ^_^;

I’d like this to move fairly quickly, so Chapter updates will happen either once everyone has posted, or every 76 hours – whichever comes first. If you miss two or more updates you might not be able to complete the PQ.

Three Open Slots:
1. Remi
2. Isla
3. Kalt
4. Samuel
CLOSED

{{A request for any who wish to join this thread: I often have trouble loading/reading posting tables, so I would appreciate if people don’t use them here. Thank you!}}

Remi had seen the notice and despite the rather awkward first encounter he'd had with the bard, he was immediately inclined to help. However at the description of warrior scholar the alchemist paused, brows furrowed. Neither a scholar nor a warrior Remi thought that perhaps his assistance wouldn't be required. And yet... —warrior scholar Loren had been trained as a combat magician, and as the head librarian in Northaven surely if anything was going to bring him out of Edy's so-called sex cave, it would be something like this? After all, the last time he'd seen the man was when the Atheneum had been attacked by the gourds. Even on his busiest days or during his most stressful seasons, Loren had cared about the library. And not just because it was an obligation. He cared for the books and the knowledge they possessed. He shouldn't still be hoping that there was a chance...shouldn't still be looking for the blue-eyed librarian around every turn, and yet with trembling hands he gently touched the words Jigano had written, heart beating slightly faster. On the day stipulated in the note, Remi made his way as silently as he could into the library. It was quiet as it always seemed to be, and as the alchemist made his way towards the blue gallery he noted with an uneasy mixture of apprehension and relief that he was the first to arrive. Flashing the bard an easy smile, Remi loitered in the doorway, not daring to quite enter into the room as if to do so might be disrespectful. He was after all, not what the bard was looking for. "I saw your note." Remi said, thickly accented voice warm and gentle, if lacking a little in confidence. Still, his boyish smile radiated optimism even as he shrugged his shoulder to readjust the bag on his hip. Just in case. "With the snow I thought perhaps there may not be as many who would leave the warmth of their homes ... or that perhaps they are too busy with their own rationing and preparations to assist. I am certainly not a warrior nor a scholar, but I would be happy to offer what I can if you find yourself in need of another pair of hands." REMI How do you steal what you really want When what you really want is free?

When Isla had seen the notice from her friend, she had immediately been inclined to help. Regrettably, however, that had been before her ascension. And since, the daytime had been quite the obstacle for her. The Voice had said she might... explode in the daylight, something she took pains to avoid with a wide-hooded coat, a scarf and gloves. Not out of place in the snow, that was fine.

But the daylight had made her more than just... likely to combust. It made her weak. Still, she had been determined not to let her new condition hinder her ability to aid a friend, and so she plodded out into the snow on clumsy and awkward feet, having to take her time as she headed for the Atheneum.

When she arrived at last, she was out of breath and needed to hold onto the doorframe for a moment to stop from fainting. Remi was there too, and conveniently in said doorway, so she touched his arm and offered him a smile within the shade of her hood. "Fancy... seeing you here..." she panted.

Glancing up, she smiled across at Jigano and managed a breathless laugh. "It's taken me long enough to get here, Jigano. You aren't getting rid of me now. I'm certain."

Now this… This was an intriguing concept to the assassin. Sentient books? He hadn’t heard of such a thing, but if it was true… Gods, what adventures could be lying between two covers of an ancient tome?

Kalt brought himself to the Atheneum after seeing the notice, donning his uniform of grey and silver. The weapons on the man were quite stealthily concealed, the dagger on his belt the only obvious weapon he carried.

He had met Jigano before in this very place, and the two of them seemed to get off to a decent start, though both seemed wary of strangers. Kalt currently wore the sword bracelet that Remi had given him, and he met Isla in the infirmary after helping with some stitches. The familiar faces perhaps helped to ease any nerves that might’ve been hidden underneath the numerous layers of confidence.

Theea was taken care of with her sitter and Ashe was very capable of taking care of herself, so he wasn’t worried about disappearing for a little while. There was a casual, easy energy as he approached the others with a crooked grin on his face. ”What’s an adventure without a little danger?” He chimed with gleaming eyes, his gloved hands stuffed into his pockets.

Sam rushed in late, stumbling out from behind a shelf as if he'd been hiding there for a while (which he had been, trying to work out if he really wanted to do this). He had been debating for the last hour as to whether he really wanted to do this.

The last time he'd entered a book with Jigano, it had been nothing short of the worst time of his life. The event still caused him terrible nerves when he thought back to it. But Jigano was the closest thing to a friend he had in this whole place - and he needed help. Recently Sam had been feeling a little bolder, a little braver; he supposed that maybe a challenge, one that he had a vague idea of already, could be a good thing to keep that direction.

When he saw who else had gathered though...Upon seeing Remi, Sam's breath caught in his throat. Things between them were at an odd place, for sure. Isla was less of a worry, but he noticed there was something different about her. Something...he recognised, but couldn't quite place. It unnerved him enough that he stayed hidden for a while, wondering if he was really going to do this.

Passing the threshold of visibility and getting near to the table, he knew he'd made a decision he couldn't go back on. Coming to stand at the edge and placing his hand on the surface (and very determinedly not looking at Remi) he raised his chin and tried to bravely look Jigano in the eyes. "I-I think if you're going to do this you should have someone with experience. ...I mean me. I'm th-that person."

Chapter 2
Heart as Cold as Stone
Remi … was not who the Lorekeeper had expected to see today. After the glare he’d gotten in the strange ice cave, he certainly wasn’t expecting the warm smile now. A pale brow arched in invitation to explanation, and the pup obliged with what Jigano had decided was his usual selfless attempts to help others—to his own destruction. He wanted to tell the boy to go home and tend to his own preparations and protections but…

He did need another pair of hands, or at least someone to watch his back. And since no one else had yet arrived, he couldn’t afford to be picky. And the young man had had plenty of time to think about this before coming out in the snow. And he was an adult, able to make his own choices… Jigano let out a slow breath, not quite a sigh, and met Remi’s smile with one of his own, offering a brief bow of gratitude. ”Welcome, Remi. Your help is appreciated.” Especially after how we parted, he thought ruefully, but kept that to himself.

Before the silence could stretch to the point of being uncomfortable a second person arrived, though in far worse shape than Remi. Jigano’s eyes widened at Isla ‘s appearance and he moved swiftly across the room to take her free hand carefully in his own if she would let him. ”If I’d known you wished to join in this, I would have moved the meeting to evening,” he chided gently, but the smile in his eyes was warm and grateful. ”I don’t think we’ll need much doctoring out here, but if we find the book… we may very well need a healer’s skill within its pages. Thank you, my friend.” He bowed over her hand before releasing it – and her – to Remi’s care with a nod to the young man she called friend, trusting him to support her while she recovered from her journey.

He rose just in time to see Kalt approaching, so he ushered the first two in while giving his recent acquaintance a wry smile of greeting. ”It’s rather the definition of it, isn’t it?” he quipped back, offering an arm clasp by way of greeting to the warrior. ”Glad to have you with us today, Kalt.” He’d be able to see the man in action, if they found the book he sought, and he had to admit he was curious about his skills.

Samuel didn’t quite sneak out from between the stacks of books, but distracted as he was by Kalt, Jigano almost didn’t see his first friend on Caido until he was at the table with the rest of them. The bard’s eyes lit up as Sam met his own with a fresh courage, and his smile turned gentle. ”Samuel, I would be honored. You can help explain things as we go, so everyone knows what to expect.”

He waited a few minutes longer in case any others strayed in, but they seemed a large enough group already and so, with a grin that was just a touch eager (how long since he’d sought out an adventure on his own like this? Not since the mountaintop…) and with new friends around him, he started off on the hunt.

”It seems to have moved from someplace at the back of the Atheneum towards the front,” the Lorekeeper explained as he led the way towards what he thought was the most recent disappearance. ”The oldest – or at least, dustiest – item I found abandoned near one of the collapsed sections.” His sharp features took on a frown – and an alertness as they neared an area of shelves overflowing with books in a spill of color, cardboard, and leather. ”I’ve found other things once I started looking, but it hasn’t moved in a straight line, so while I think it’s near this area, I’m not entirely cer—“

New friends!

The only warning was a creak of ancient wood and then the whistle of displaced air as a large black tome, still trailing rusted chains, tumbled from the top of a shelf a body length above their heads. It came open as it fell, a flash of white extending from its spreading pages to encompass the entire world. By the time it landed with a heavy thump on the flagstones there was no one around to hear it – or to watch it ruffle its pages in an unseen wind, the cover slamming shut with an eerily satisfied sound like closing jaws.

As for those who had been standing in the Atheneum a mere moment before…

They were still standing, but the Atheneum had disappeared. In its place was a large clearing in a barren forest, the black trees thin and skeletal beneath a cloudy sky. Scattered around them were more than a dozen statues – human, or something similar enough. A few had pointed ears, others were short and full-bearded. The strangest thing, though, was that while the statues had been chiseled by a master-sculptor, they had been dressed in linen and leather that fluttered in the light breeze. Their armaments, too, were of wood and metal – some new and shining, others looking rusted and worn by time. Their expressions ranged from confused to defiant to terrified – one was even a child, a girl of ten or eleven, crying silently into the chill light that bespoke a perpetual twilight.

The first thing Jigano noticed was how different his balance felt, and how chill even the breeze was against so much bare skin. After his last foray into a book world he wasn’t entirely unprepared to find himself in a different body, but not even all his control and discipline could stop the soft outburst that fell from his lips at realizing what had happened this time. ”Gods least fortunate!” he swore, looking down – at a lush body, curvaceous in all the right places but otherwise toned and tight – and leaving very little to the imagination in a skimpy excuse at armor and fluttering white cloth that bared significantly more leg than he was comfortable with. His hair remained long and white, his eyes blue, and his features recognizable – give or take the pointed ears and three fingers on each hand – and he (she?) found himself (herself?) holding a staff with an improbably intricate top piece of gold.

Remi was luckier, perhaps, at least in being properly covered with full, functional metal armor and clothes beneath it. There was a flowing white cape at his shoulders, but he was human and still in his proper form. Of the three he was least changed, though he now held a gleaming sword and large shield with some sort of symbol painted boldly across it.

Samuel was once more dressed in earthy colors and simple leather armor. A short bow was in his hand, and a quiver of arrows was on one hip. On the other sat a small axe – tool and weapon both. He looked mostly human, at least, aside from the slight pointiness to his ears and a cat-like tilt to their his.

Where Jigano had gone slender, Kalt ‘s new female body was barrel-chested and compact, barely reaching four and a half feet and draped in chainmail and leather, with a broad, sweet face and lovingly cared-for braids that stuck out from beneath his (her?) helmet. A heavy two-handed hammer sat in his thick-fingered hands, well-worn and sharp enough to cut the wind.

Isla was half-hidden in the shadow of a statue, wearing less armor than Jigano but more clothes, covered neck to toe in thin leather and silent silk in dark colors that seemed to blend in to their surroundings. Long knives sat at her hips, short ones were crossed in a bandolier over her chest. She looked mostly human, at least, but stood only four feet tall, with over-large eyes and webbed ears.

”Alright, this is normal… I think,” the bard started to reassure his companions, looking around to take his bearings and try to pick out who had become… what. ”We’re taking the part of characters in the story, which should allow us to experience it—What was that?” He tensed as a dry slithering sound of scales on stone shushed through the clearing. Very large scales.

And he caught the reflection of a twisted head moving in one of the statues’ shields from the corner of his eye.

”Gorgon!” he shouted, dropping into a crouch and clutching the staff close as he turned his gaze to the ground, spinning to face the direction the shield was facing. ”If you catch its gaze you’ll turn to stone! These aren’t statues – they’re victims!” More importantly though – this couldn’t be the start of the story. Dropping straight into a fight? It was possible but-- ”The damn book is cheating,” he growled, casting desperately around for a fallen shield to use in his defense. ”We have to take it down without meeting its eyes directly!”

Of course, no sooner had he spoken than the half-man, half-snake like creature with the writhing serpentine hair lunged for Isla, claws outstretched as it hissed in eagerness, its intentions clear: to grab her by the head and force her to meet its gaze if she didn't move fast enough to escape.

Posting Order:
1. Isla
2. Samuel
3. Remi
3. Kalt

{{Within the confines of this book, normal Caido racial abilities and drawbacks do not work. Your characters will be relying on their wits and their weapons only. Good luck!}}

Next update: 1-15-19 OR when everyone has posted

Isla smiled to Jigano as he crossed the room to greet her, pushing back her hood and giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "How could I resist an adventure like this? Worry not about me - I made it here in one piece, and hopefully this book of yours would prefer a stern talking to than any physical violence." Isla laughed softly, letting him go to greet the others and taking a slow, deep breath to try and set herself to rights.

She nodded at Samuel and Kalt, too, as they arrived, and listened carefully to any and all information offered about this strange and sentient book as they took their first steps into the Atheneum proper. After a short rest Isla was at least able to walk without assistance - not that it turned out that she would need to walk very far in any case.

Isla just about had the chance to gaze up as the book flung itself (was that even possible?) from the top of a shelf, her blue eyes widening before scrunching shut as the world was consumed by light and... and...

When she blinked her eyes open again it was to the sight of an eerie little scene, all statues and twilight. And it looked a lot... bigger than she thought was ordinary. Indeed, as she gazed at one of the statues she had to crane her neck up considerably more than before, and of the people that surrounded her she immediately recognised only Remi and Samuel, the healer scampering out to stand with them. "What in the world..."

Some breasts started to talk to them at that point, and Isla had to hop back a couple of steps to realise they had a face, too. "Who... Jigano?" Her voice came out a touch higher and she couldn't stop the broad grin from twitching across her face. "Why, what big... er, what a big staff you have." She tittered.

Unfortunately, they were rudely interrupted by a gorgon (whatever that was) and it wanted to take off her face (apparently). Isla spun around, glaring down at the floor just in time at Jigano's instructions, but that wouldn't do much good to kill the creature.

Her hands fumbled for the knives at her hips and, as the gorgon rushed her, she ran forward rather than back, using her conveniently new and compact size to try and duck beneath its claws. Should she succeed, she would slash ruthlessly at its belly.

Sam was happy that Jigano didn't seem to consider him a burden to the mission. He wasn't even that phased by the journey into the book, even more pleased when he felt himself in a similar body to last time - familiar territory. Not that he knew how to use any of the weapons at his hips, but at least he wasn't...Jigano.

His eyes widened at the amount of bare skin on display. He had not seen many naked people at all, but naked women less than anyone else. Immediately he tried his best to stare straight at Jigano's face, but it was difficult with all of ...that right there. He began to look around and take everyone else in.

Remi, of course, looked very handsome with his normal face in armour with a gleaming sword. A literal knight in shining armour...after their past meeting it almost felt as if the book was trying to mock him with this appearance.

Other than that, he saw another woman then a small creature he couldn't quite identify. He supposed one of them had to be Isla, and the other the man he hadn't known in the library. Sam was about to ask for his name again when Jigano yelled and he finally paid attention to the statues, heard the words. Fighting his natural instinct to look up at the monster, he ran to the side with his hands over his face.

When he had gotten a good few metres away, he looked forward and at the ground, enough to see Isla very close to the creature. Immediately he reached for the axe on his hip, though he wasn't sure how he was actually meant to use it - but it was a time for action, not thoughts. He grabbed the thing, yanked it from his side and threw it as best he could towards the Gorgon, realising too late he held a good chance of hitting Isla with it.

For a moment as Jigano sighed and the distance between offer and acceptance was crossed, Remi thought it was very likely he was about to be sent home. He'd go of course, with no hard feelings or animosity, but it never was a particularly pleasant feeling to offer aid and have it declined. But then suddenly it was. Before he might have said more, Isla was at his side clutching the door frame. Immediately his arm snaked around the blonde's waist with a protectiveness that still spoke of Remi's boyish nature, as there was nothing entitled nor hinting at masculine-grandstanding anywhere in it. Rather perversely though, seeing the blonde weakened ignited something in the alchemist. After all, if she required strength, that might mean she'd need to—Flushing slightly at the thought, he smiled at her and gently ushered her through the doorway that their collective bodies were now certainly blocking. "A magical healing balm last week, and now perhaps a veil? You are running up quite the tab." Glancing at Kalt as he entered, Remi thought that he was perhaps the closest to actually meeting Jigano's requirements. He wasn't so sure about the scholarly part from their brief conversation, but the man was certainly capable enough with his weapons. "Kalt." Remi greeted with a smile, before turning to see an all too familiar red-head stumble into the room. Though he tried to offer him a smile, the ascended's gaze was decidedly pulled away. It was no surprise of course, though it did make the alchemist pause thoughtfully for a moment. As Jigano moved the group out of the gallery, Remi aided Isla in whatever ways she might need from him. Up until ... well. She didn't. The startle from the book made claws appear on the alchemist's hands and large teeth erupt in his mouth, but as he suddenly found himself standing in a barren forest wearing armor, he noted that the latent predators that lingered within himself were silent. He was alone in himself, which was perhaps the most frightening thing of all. Glancing around quickly, his sea-glass green stare intrigued and lacking the concern that his new surroundings likely should have warranted, he had time to take in Jigano's appearance, Sam more or less at his side, Isla crouching (no, she was standing, just much shorter than she had been), and—trying to suppress a laugh—Kalt. But there wasn't time to marvel at his friends and companions new found appearances. Jigano's barked orders were well timed as the gorgon appeared. Before he could say anything—though no strategist was he—Isla had already run towards the creature. A grin tugged at his lips as he watched her try to slide her way beneath its belly—until he saw an axe suddenly tossed that direction as well. The smile slid off his face as he glanced towards Sam who'd apparently thrown it, if his posture was anything to go by. A lopsided smirk began to tug at his lips until the sounds of battle forced his mind back into combat. Recalling stories that he'd heard as a young boy, Remi glanced towards Kalt-turned-stout-woman and raised the shield placed on his arm. It was a good thing that the past few months had served to put some muscle onto Remi's slim and athletic frame, lest all the armor and weaponry would have been an obnoxious burden. Now they were just a regular burden, given that the alchemist had never been trained in this sort of combat. He'd never even held a shield. "The reflection!" He called to Kalt, gesturing with the shield and then nodding towards the large hammer that was held in his (her?) thick hands. If the (wo)man agreed, Remi would use the shield as a mirror to guide Kalt's action so that he could attack. REMI How do you steal what you really want When what you really want is free?

Kalt nodded in greeting to Remi’s acknowledgement, giving a smile to the man, as he looked at the other man who walked in after. He didn’t recognize that one, but there would be time later he supposed to get to know everyone better. He listened with the others to Jigano speak, and was instantly put on the defensive when the book practically leaped at them.

Suddenly, he looked around and noticed that they were no longer in the Atheneum. Interesting. There wasn’t time in his rapid-paced mind for him to fully acknowledge the change in scenery, as he thought of something that was missing. Ashe. They wore the rings, but suddenly he couldn’t feel her anymore. He tried calling to her down the bond, but nothing. He hadn’t realized just how empty, barren it felt without her presence, and he dreaded what she must’ve been feeling at that moment.

He looked down at his left hand to see if the ring was even still there, but was shocked to find it wasn’t even his hand. The assassin’s eyes went wide, looking at the full chest he was given and large hammer. A smirk was pulling at his (her?) lips, as he looked at the others. He saw Remi try not to laugh, so he struck a confident pose with his hand on his hip and leg locked, brow and chin raised defiantly. ”Don’t be jealous that I can work this look,” he quipped with briefly puckered lips.

When Jigano called about a gorgon, Kalt immediately shielded his eyes. He had been a mythology fanatic back in Northwind. Though, now, he didn’t really know what was real and what was myth. He was hopping through portals, going to new worlds, bonding with unicorns, and tracking glowing reindeer. The possibility of gorgons being real didn’t faze him in the slightest. However, he knew how to deal with them.

Before he even had to say anything, Remi raised his shield and shouted about the reflection. Kalt smiled, glad and thankful that the alchemist knew that, strategically, it was the best move.

He moved towards the creature, using the reflection on Remi’s shield to guide him, but still refusing to meet even the reflection’s eyes for a second. Just because he was in a different body didn’t mean he forgot all of his training. Kalt would duck out of the way of any kind of potential attack, moving to strike his hammer as close to the head of the creature as he could. His new lack of height wasn’t exactly helpful in that department. So this was what Ashe dealt with on a daily basis. Ugh.

Chapter 3
The Crossing

Isla struck true, her quick reaction catching the gorgon by surprise. It wasn’t ready for the tiny morsel to dodge towards it, and it howled in shock and pain and rage as her knives hits its stomach. Its scales protected it somewhat, the blow not a killing one on its own – but it was certainly debilitating and, more importantly, thoroughly distracted the creature from her more heavily-armed companions.

Samuel meant well, and the axe flew in the direction he threw it, tumbling end over end. The gorgon was too distracted by the unexpected attack of its prey to recognize the incoming projectile for the danger it was--  But the bookseller’s lack of practice in throwing weapons was made unfortunately obvious as the handle of the axe smacked into the side of the gorgon’s head, rather than its blade. The monster whipped its head around to pin the red-haired pest with its petrifying gaze—

When Remi and Kalt ‘s combination attack caught it in the back of the head, the dwarf’s hammer just barely reaching high enough to crunch into the base of the skull. For a moment the monster tottered, stomach wound gushing over Isla’s petite form, before collapsing to the side.

The fall of the gorgon’s body echoed eerily in the clearing as it bounced off of shields and stone. Jigano rushed to close its eyes – eye? There was only one, as he reached blindly out and his fingers brushed still-warm skin and delicate scales. The other socket was scarred and empty, but he had little time to think about it. A piece of cloth torn from a nearby statue was secured around the creature’s head – just in case. Only afterwards did he realize he should be concerned about someone waking up without pants—but stone remained unchanged, even at the monster’s death. The bard – mage? Sorceress? – sighed and stood, dusting his – her? – knees off and trying to deal with the way her weight had shifted definitively forward. ”Well. We know where the missing people are, now. And we know what to expect if we need to come back for them. If they were dead, they should have already left the book, so I suppose they’re alive in those stone shells. But I’m not sure how to change them back.” He shook his head in frustration, then raised her gaze to meet those of his companions, maintaining a dignified pretense of not being bothered by her new… attributes. ”I think our best bet now is to keep moving forward. Hopefully if we can complete the story successfully, all of those who don’t belong will be returned to the library. And, ah, to their – and our – proper bodies. Staff sizes notwithstanding,” he added dryly, glancing to Isla with a hint of his usual wry grin. If not, there might have to be a second expedition, but Jigano was cautiously optimistic that he was learning the rules of these strange, living books.

”Last time the scenery changed as we started walking, taking us to where we needed to be so… follow me, I suppose.” With a wry smile for his team the lovely sorceress strode off towards the trees, heading straight for the darkest, thickest tangle of twisted branches—

And, as they approached them, the colors did, indeed, melt around them, subtly shifting as the world reorganized itself so that the trees were surrounding them, beside them, behind them – but thinning in front. As they stepped out from the edge of the miserable forest they were met by a scene that had Jigano’s jaw tightening. A small tower of dark grey stone, weighted with age and an underlying sense of danger, stood at the center of a flat plain.

As they approached, each step taking them farther than it should have, the area around the tower resolved, the plain breaking into rougher cracks, sharp edged like black glass. The ground dipped just before the upthrust building, hiding in its roll a chasm that dropped away into darkness, surrounding the tor like an empty moat twenty feet wide. Luckily for the adventurers, a bridge spanned the echoing depths at one point, leading to a large door in the tower’s side.

Unluckily, the central portion of the span was missing, creating a gap roughly six feet wide that would challenge most of the party in crossing unaided.

”Across that bridge lies our goal, I suspect,” Jigano said, dryly amused, aware that she was stating the obvious but unable to let the narrative moment pass. ”I can probably leap it with this staff but…” She looked to her companions – particularly those in heavy armor and the generally unathletic Sam, and bit her lip fetchingly. ”This… is going to require some teamwork. Samuel, is that fancy belt wrapped around your waist a corded rope, by chance?”

Posting Order:
1. Samuel
2. Isla
3. Kalt
4. Remi

((Please remember to write your actions as attempts, not declaratives, in case something happens to alter the execution between where your character starts and where they're hoping to end up ))

Sam didn't notice the Gorgon's eyes turn his way, too busy covering his own and cowering keeping a good distance. He only took his hands away from his face when he heard the slump of the creatures body against the ground, and felt the tension around him relax. Sheepishly, he went to recover his axe from where it had uselessly fallen to the floor.

He expected the shifting world around them, feeling rather proud of himself at how little it bothered him this time. While he didn't particularly like the area they arrived in (dry earth and deep cracks were usually not good signs in fiction, he'd found) he stepped into it with a decent amount of confidence, thinking he could probably handle it as long as there were no more monsters.

Seeing the tower and the gap around it, it began to sink in that this was definitely a book of a higher difficulty than the one they had entered before. Sam was quite content to stand back and let the rest of the party work out this particular issue, but much to his surprise Jigano immediately spoke his name.

"O-oh. Um." He reached down to touch his belt, which up until that moment he had not though much of. "Oh yes, it is. Alright." He began to unravel the rope from his waist, hoping desperately the action would not drop his pants.

When he had a coil of rope in his hands, he was immediately very eager to give it off to someone else, to relieve himself of the pressure of having to solve this himself. Sam handed out the rope into the middle of the group, waiting for somebody to take it. "Here. It should be enough for us to.......um..."

It suddenly dawned on him they were either going to have to use it like a tightrope, or hang off of it to get across, and his stomach flipped. He said nothing else, but his face steadily dropped as he stared down the chasm.

The gorgon was dead - fantastic! Isla managed by some miracle to get the heck out of the way of the falling, blind monster as it slumped down, scurrying to stand between Remi and Jigano. Whilst the latter tried to figure out what the needed to do next (something she was content to let him take the lead on), Isla busied herself surreptitiously cleaning her knives of ichor on Remi's leg.

And then they were off, into the foreboding book to an equally foreboding tower surrounded by a moody looking moat. With a broken bridge in the centre. "I feel I won't fare well if I try to cross this thing by myself," she remarked. When Sam held out the rope she instinctively took it (though she had no idea why), staring up around them.

"Well I guess you two will just have to strip off." She shrugged at Kalt and Remi. "Toss your armour across and make the jump." Grinning, the gazed up at Jigano. "May I have a ride on your back?"

As the band of merry men and woman (women?) set off once again, Kalt found that he was both annoyed and amused by his new body. His long strides were taken and replaced by an awkward gait for someone used to covering nearly three feet with a single step. Not to mention how strange it was to have to look upward at most of his companions. While it was an adventure, for sure, the (wo)man was slightly irritated by his stout female form though he was amused by the large rack he had on his chest.

The scenery around them magically shifted into something darker and more ominous, but in a weird way, Kalt felt welcomed by this eerie land. The landscape and the chasm and the tower and the broken bridge... All of it added up to something similar to the evil lairs in the fairytales he would read to his daughter. His mind floated to Theea, and for a moment, he wondered how much time had passed back in their world.

Kalt looked at Isla when she suggested he and Remi remove their armor and jump the gap. There was a slightly condescending look in the female dwarf's eye, but he tried to shake it away quickly. He looked at his stubby (at least in his opinion) legs and at the six-foot gap in the bridge. "No fucking way I'm jumping that in this body," he muttered.

If he was still over six feet tall, however... He rolled his eyes and scrunched his now scooped nose.

He looked at Isla, then Jigano. "Jigs, if you take one end of the Samuel's belt and jump across, Remi can hold the other end for the rest of us to get across, then he can jump. If either one of you slip or fall, everyone else is there to pull you up." Kalt would've volunteered to hold one end of the rope, but Jigano and Remi he believed had the best chances of making the jump safely. "Unless you have another suggestion?" He asked, looking up at Remi.