"We're on a boat? Heh...I'm the only one with Swimming AND Balance!"
I love it when my husband is smug. Makes swerving him SO much fun...
Ulfen finds himself on the ship "Ruddegar's Joy", confronted by an angry Eisen with a broadsword wondering how he got there. Ulfen, being a very honest sort, tells him and pulls out the journal the Explorers gave him from one MJ Barrie.
The Avalon man behind the Eisen blanches, asks Ulfen where he got it -- then asks how long they've been gone. "50 years..."
Ulfen describes his encounter back in the forests around Altamira with the strange female creature/child eater that was making a ticking sound. Barrie and Jakob blanch some more as Jakob reveals his arm stump and how Tink ate his hand (including his Dracheneisen gauntlet) as he was trying to force a Syrneth bomb down her throat.
"Well, my friends and I--"
"You're the only one here."
(Mike: "DAMMIT, KATIE!")
Meanwhile, Soledad and Murrough (whose player isn't here due to last night car trouble so I'm NPCing him) find themselves in a forest glade. Soledad finds she's laying on top of the smallest box which she swore she left at the Explorers. And they smell roasted meat. More like lamb actually...
(Steve: "DAMMIT KATIE, THAT BETTER NOT BE FRANCIS!")
...much to Soledad's annoyance, Murrough tears off after the smell and they come across a banquet table with a feast, surrounded by little birdies and field mice. And there are four empty chairs. A voice rings out "HAIL THE CONQUERING HEROES HUZZAH HUZZAH!" Murrough eagerly sits down while Soledad whines about being here and how she knew the pond was a Bad Idea and--
"AS HER FRIENDS BRAVELY CHARGED IN, SHE BRAVELY CHOSE TO DO
NOTHING HUZZAH HUZZAH! NOT EVEN TO RUN TO GET HELP HUZZAH HUZZAH!"
And then the ghost of Simon shows up, wondering what sort of party they're at. And in the other chair is the ghost of Soledad's dead husband, telling her they need to leave this accursed place quickly. Murrough doesn't see or hear either. Simon can't see the Dead Hubby, but Dead Hubby sees him -- and the birds and mice can see them both.
"He hasn't come to terms with his state, Beloved."
Soledad bluntly tells Simon he's now dead. Simon does not take this news well, pissed that Soledad's actions lead him to his current state, not to mention potentially screwing over his baby daughter AND his only friend.
"SHE SEEKS ANOTHER LOG FOR THE FIRE HUZZAH HUZZAH! A CHILD TO SUBSTITUTE AS HER OWN HUZZAH HUZZAH! JUST LOOK AT HOW THE OTHERS ENDED UP HUZZAH HUZZAH!"
Simon finally realizes that they're in Bryn Bresail and whatever Soledad and Murrough do, they should NOT eat or drink anything here. Soledad demands to know what they want.
"Entertain us."
Soledad pulls out the box -- and the birds and mice immediately draw back from it, saying it leads to Annwn (the Cymric Underworld). Murrough offers to fight for their hosts' entertainment and both Simon and Soledad's dead hubby are convincing her to leave the Inishman behind as a distraction. The nun whines about not wanting to be here in the first place and offers to take the box away from them if they'll just let them leave...
And things go black.
Meanwhile, Luc finds himself in a clearing after a rainstorm. And a lank grey beggarman is in a tree, speaking in rhyme, offering the Montaigne a boon if he'll play a game of chance with him. A riddle later and the beggar offers Luc the chance to return back to Theah, cryptically implying that the lives of his last squadmates could be at stake if he doesn't go.
Luc doesn't hesitate.
"QUACK!"
"What are you doing at the duck pond?"
Luc is back in Freiburg (no, he is not a duck) and three days have gone by since they fell into the lake. Word gets to him that Erich and Greta have arrived in the city looking for him. Meanwhile, Soledad and Murrough wake up on the deck of Ruddigar's Joy, reuniting with Ulfen. Soledad brings up the box she has and Barrie wonders if it could be one of the Keys of the Prophets, rumoured to let one do amazing things like speak with the dead, heal the sick or even bring the dead back to life... Whatever it is, the Sidhe seem to be scared of it -- and maybe it can get them to the shore to find and rescue Jakob's missing stepchildren.