Episode 13 - Escaping the Sandbox

In which our heroes engage in some multi-dimensional travel, burglary and rescuing.


Having listed to the alien's odd request and after a brief sampling of it's wares the band agreed. It wanted a psychic amplifier retrieved from a band of reavers. The reaver's base was located in the space between worlds and had wards and devices to warn them of the alien. However the band possessed 'unique mental signatures' which should allow them to pass undetected. They would only have to worry about a few prying eyes.

The alien then opened a transplanar gate to the space between worlds. Some of the band felt disorientated by the weird, alien landscape but due to either mental resilience or lack of imagination soon took it in their stride. The space between worlds appeared as a great velvet expanse. There did not appear to be any ground and here and there could be seen lights or specks. Their alien employer pointed one out and they traveled towards it.


Soon the object resolved itself to be an irregular boulder. It was hard to gauge it's dimensions as there was nothing with which to reference it against. A little later the alien called for a halt and informed them it was near the limit at which it would be detected. The band would have to go on alone from here.

As they got closer they could make out two entrances. One had the appearance of a pier and two large doors, which were closed. The other resembled a large cave entrance. While the band immediately filed that as 'deeply suspicious' they went to have a look anyway. The cave went further into the structure and they could make out flickering lights within as well as the sound of bickering in some guttural tongue. The band volunteered Scawl to go look.

Inside Scawl soon found a massive cavern. Pride of place went to a large heap of coins of many different types. Gold, silver, bronze, copper and several metals Scawl could not identify lay about in fused clumps. Standing about were several small lizard-men. Using his arts Scawl managed to distract the creatures and then ushered the rest of the band into the rest of the complex.

The band quickly found the commander's room. While it contained what they sought it also held a Hobgoblin Princess. She imperiously demanded her release and return. The band vacillated between rescue, ignoring or stabbing the Princess. The debate was interrupted by the guards bringing her a meal. The fight was brief but drew the attention of the other guards. More fighting ensued and the band eventually decided to rescue the Princess and return her to Babylon.

Returning to the alien creature they asked to travel to Babylon in their world instead of returning to where they left. The alien complied since one location in the material was pretty much like another. The band stepped through into a hot dusty street. Hobgoblins were everywhere, engaged in the business of buying, selling, gawking, entertaining. Also present in the city were some dwarves, ferocious bull-men, centaurs and snake people. All going about their business. No-one seemed to recognise the princess and when asked about her most remarked that wasn't that the cause of one of the old wars with the dwarves? It seemed she had been gone a long time.

Nonetheless the band managed to get a large reward for returning the princess. With some of the money they purchased a copy of the Laws of Babylon and then asked the alien for one more transit. To Constantinople. The alien agreed reluctantly and deposited them into what to the band's rustic eyes as a very similar city but with many more dwarves and far less hobgoblins.