STATIC 28: Drifting Toward the Station

General Summary

Wherein the Blinkertons steer Driftmechs through the Ceaseless, toward an enigmatic Cerulean Station

We Begin in Dream

As the The Interdimensional Blinkerton Detective Agency rested in Eldheim, they all shared the same dream. Here is some of what that dream contained:

• Tridge's contribution to the shared dream is a nice one. Having fallen asleep cuddling Crys the cat, she dreamed of ceaseless warm cats, all being both good and cute. A good feeling.
• Nero's realization that the cats were distracting our heroes from their present circumstances was more troubling. They're arriving late to a critical solution for all their problems. This is not good.
• Further, Osborn saw these previously warm cats start to "glitch out," morphing with body parts of other animals. A clear reference to the troubling Displacement and the fabric of material reality.
• Taking his cue from Osborn's observations, Goos witnessed once significantly large glitch in the dream, through which these cats came back as "evil doctor cats" wielding scalpels.
• Luckily, Fritz saw something else latent in the dreamscape--hope. The giant glowing face of Auggie, suffused with light, reassembling the firmament, reconstructing the psychic tableau.

There, the shared dream ended, leaving each of our adventurers to ponder what it means.

Ceaselessly Drifting

First, though, they need to get to a place called Cerulean Station. This destination was identified thanks to the helpful repeated word of "CERULEAN!" by Astrolabe and the further inference provided by Esastrov that the clockwork bird was likely referencing a roadhouse/way station somewhere in the Ceaseless. Unlike Eldheim, the Station is entirely within the Ceaseless Drift and will likely be a much different sort of environment than the halls of Meadeye's domain. Thus, with this cryptic warning echoing in their heads, our heroes left Eldheim for the Ceaseless, seamlessly merging back with their Driftmechs in the process.
Since Auggie's instructions were to "follow the bird," the Blinkies did just that. As the Ceaseless is a dangerous and unstable environment in which the landscape seems to shift without warning or clear rationale, strange encounters awaited them on their journey. Here is some of what occured:

• They met Osmali the Audience, presumedly a being of great power, lounging beside an oasis in the Drift. In exchange for a story from Osborn Moonspark about his time being Displaced and own isolation, the Audience gifted them "Bless." Nice!
• They fell in a big pit and fought warriors made of crystal.
• In that same pit, they found a giant crystal amphora filled with pink smoke. Shattering the amphora released a being of pure pink smoke. In gratitude, it agreed to answer some pressing questions by staring deep into the Skein. Goos asked who made Astrolabe (Elaugzar Wyrdloom) while Osborn asked if we could trust Auggie (yes). Fritz asked if he would see his sister again and how (yes, but too may possibilities to account for the nature of that encounter). Tridge asked what the deal with the Station was (a rough and tumble place; be careful). Nero asked the all important question--"how you doin'?" (As of this moment, excellent.) Then, the being vanished in a puff of pink smoke, leaving our detectives with perhaps more questions than answers.
• They were set upon by crystal fiends and had to fight their way out.
• A void cloud descended on the Ceaseless. Pushing through this hazard proved lucrative, as Osborn got something called a L.A.Z.E.R. that can be equipped and used by Lichen.
• A strange amalgam of dragon and steam-powered carriage, called The Crystal Carver) stopped alongside them, offering treasures in exchange for Drift Essence. Our heroes readily agreed to this transaction.
• A storm of small fierce crystals rained down upon them, making an already bloody journey even more painful.
• A towering crystal lich named Rokzux demanded they go to the Station and procure him "rose draught," promising grave consequences if this quest was refused. Since they were very tired, bloodied, and going that direction anyway, they said "sure, boss. You got it.".

Then, finally, it was time to rest.


We End in Dream

That night, our Blinkies earned their reprieve, giving their Driftmech consciousnesses some much needed downtime. There, in the Ceaseless evening, dreams once again met them. This time, however, their shared dream manifested as a shared nightmare. Nero's failures (real or imagined) were weaponized against the group, given tangible and disconcerting form. Sprinkled in with those failures were giant crystal rutabagas--a connection to Goos' youth now turned wrong and malevolent. Both entities advanced toward our heroes with nefarious intent.

And That's Where We Left It

We'll see how our heroes deal with their night terrors during our next session.


Varied & Sundry Details

• L.A.Z.E.R. stands for L.A.Z.E.R. Attack Zone Effect Rocket. Yes, the L stands for L.A.Z.E.R.
• Rokzux cannot visit Cerulean Station itself. He have been permanently banned and refused to elaborate.
• Osborn, perhaps thinking of Hypatia, recognized the "dragon form" of The Crystal Carver as previously Armith, Bringer of Mirth, who is of the linage Axelbras the Golden, which was notable as eventually becoming the source of Brackdragons. It is unclear what use that knowledge may be, but there it is.

Rewards Granted

• Level 8!

Character(s) interacted with

• Esastrov--called the Meadeye, proprietress of Eldheim
• Osmali--called "the Audience," lover of stories, giver of bless.
• Rokzuk--a mighty crystal lich, wants a tasty beverage from the Station

Report Date

13 Aug 2023

Primary Location

The Ceaseless Drift