[HQ Ignorance] Scene 121: Follow that Rainbow!

[Lev Lafayette]

Scene 121: Follow that Rainbow!

Nota bene: Apologies for the gap in posts. A combination of exams (only
two more and I'll have an MBA!) and illness knocked me out for a
while....

Azhur deep in contemplation listened haphazardly to the comments of the
rest of the rump Fellowship following his question. His mind was
questioning the relationship between God and Dragons. The smirk of the
Godlearner, as he could read his thoughts (but of course, that was
impossible!), was not comforting. The recommendation of the Godlearner
to take the path of Heaven and Hell didn't help. His lessons of this
ancient culture seemed right. They always wanted the know the extremes
of everything with the power that brought, but without a care of the
consequences.

The Dragonewt's initial recommendation of the Rainbow Way came with a
hiss and a rasp. Azhur shook his head, as it sounded so much like a
laugh. But then the Dragonewt started to argue the virtues more
seriously and Jareena used her visions of the sunrise to back him up.
The Dragonewt waxed poetically of how the rainbow bridge represented a
dragon of the past and the future; "Where the rainbow endssss.. The
dragon begins...!" Azhur shuddered at the thought. "The rain ends, the
rainbow begins, and the cycle continuesss... The arch representss birth,
the ssswelling of the belly in humansss, the growth of the eggsss for my
peoplesss.."

[Seeker: 1W11 with augments (including Jareena's), rolls 20! A critical
failure, bumped to a failure. Resistance 14, roll 6, a success. A defeat
for the Seeker! Let's run with it, eh?]

With the Dragonewt's insistence (after all, it was his rebirth), the
Fellowship made the first steps under the bridge, underneath the
double-headed multi-coloured dragon crescent the represented the
beginning of the bridge. The place was appropriately colourful, painted
with the full range that one would expect to see. But likewise so was
the clothing of those who ran the markets and stalls. The people who
inhabited them seemed cheerful, but vague, as if their minds were
elsewhere.

The Bridges of Godunya were a shortcut to Hum Chang, but it was still a
journey of at least a few days. As Yelm set that night, the Fellowship
made their way to one of the bridgeside stalls, which combined a
resthouse, a puppet show and diner. A strange combination, but seemingly
not inappropriate in this place. 

Despite the fact that the food was coloured strangely, it was fairly
tasty, although perhaps a little sweet to the taste from those of the
cool north-west. The puppet-show was strangely appropriate, a
philosophical story of how all of Glorantha was but a stage, how the
characters were playing roles that the Gods had given them from the
mystery of their birth and how some could aspire to be born again, over
and over, becoming increasingly aware and skilled at dealing with more
complex problems, until one day they could transform into a dragon - a
very real one - a simple escape from the universe itself.

Azhur was less than thrilled with the prospect of becoming a dragon.
Rikku sneered at the idea. But the Seeker, sat nodding, his tongue
darting in and out in approval. Still all agreed it was a good show, and
found their way into bed for the night.

It was the ever-aware Rotterex who woke up first with a start. Something
clearly didn't smell right. He looked around in surprise, for it was not
his bed that he was in. Worse still, and in absolute horror, he seemed
to have been transformed into an Aldryami! His body was wooden. Quickly
he looked around and saw the rest of the Fellowship, they too had been
transformed - into marionette puppets! Quickly Rotterex woke the rest of
the party up, who looked about in horror. Instead of being in their beds
they were in the street of a wooden play-town. Around them, other
puppets went about their business, mimicking the behaviour of a normal
street setting.

Suddenly there was a great commotion. There was a stamping of feet, as
if a platoon of troops was approaching. The puppets scattered, hiding
indoors, closing windows. Marching down the street was a hundreds of
identical puppets, tall and strong with strong jaws. One small puppet
found itself outside of a building, it banged on the door, desparately.
A soldier puppet reached down and grabbed it, and bit off its head,
passing the limp body behind, where it was crushed in the jaws of the
others.

The Fellowship puppets looked at each other with great concern; there
seemed to be nowhere to run. Suddenly a voice came from behind them.
"This way! In here!" It was the voice of a raven-haired thin puppet of a
female form. Taking no time, the Fellowship puppets ran inside and the
door was slammed shut and bolted, just as the soldier puppets marched
past.

"The soldiers now control all of Getai. I am Zifu. You are new here?
That is very sad."