The problem with searching for ruins in this part of Sylvania is that they are all too easily found. Even within the five-mile range that the dragon normally patrols, Alptraum and Tulani have come across a half-dozen crumbled stone structures while heading eastward – although none of them match the details of the one they're searching for.

The next set of tumbled stone blocks on a hillside holds a little more promise, at least, since the smell of wood smoke still lingers near it – a hint that people have been there recently.

Alptraum circles over the possible site slowly. His ears are canted downward and listening for any activity. "If I have to hunt down one more ruin… " he thinks.

Tulani glides along a short distance behind the Eeee, watching him and glancing towards the ground for any sign of trouble while Alptraum listens and searches.

In the silent air, Alptraum is able to make out a pair of barely hushed voices midway up the pile of stone, and in the same spot Tulani's sharp hunter's eyes catch a glimpse of blonde hair and pale skin; possibly a face.

Alptraum gestures back to Tulani, then arcs away from the ruins and starts looking for a clear site to land at. Better to sneak up along the ground, he figures. The longer before it's known they are there, the better.

The Black Sphynx catches Alptraum's gesture, nodding her head in reply and tilting her wings to silently follow his path, glancing towards the ground for an open spot.

The best landing spot turns out to be not on the ground at all. One of the giant trees had died and fallen over, knocking down a swath of lesser ones. The old trunk makes for a narrow runway ten feet thick.

Alptraum's wings pull in and he makes a rapid gliding descent towards the collapsed tree. As he closes, his wings edge out slowly, decreasing his speed and allowing him to bring is feet down for a running landing.

Circling for a moment until Alptraum has landed safely and moved out of the way, so as to prevent a collision, Tulani follows; dropping into a dive towards the trunk before spreading her wings out wide, letting them catch the air for her landing.

As usual, the forest grows quiet around the pair thanks to Tulani's amulet. The ruins can be seen through the tree branches to the east.

Alptraum waits for Tulani to land, then walks over to her. He points toward a sequence of trees that dot their way along the hill. "We move from tree to tree when the wind blows," he whispers quietly, "So we look like leaves blowing in the wind if someone sees the shadows." He then crouches down low and slinks through the remaining woods towards the hill and ruins. His ears swivel and listen as he moves, checking for others that may be in the area.

Tulani nods to Alptraum's comment, but doesn't reply as she steps lightly after him, trying to make as little noise as possible while watching the area to the sides and behind them.

The same two, hushed voices can be heard during the approach, but the stones block any direct view. At one point the stealthy pair come across a small track worn through the grass of the hill, leading west away from the ruins.

Alptraum kneels down near the track, looking for recently crushed plants to indicate a group left this evening.

There are a few signs of recent movement, and probably from a group of at least eight people.

Stopping just a bit behind the Eeee, Tulani continues to watch for any signs of movement or anything strange, quickly glancing down where Alptraum kneels to the disturbed plants.

"Hopefully, that was most of them," Alptraum thinks. He gets back to his feet quietly and moves towards the ruins slowly. As each foot moves forward, he feels with is toes for things that might be triplines or the like before applying much pressure and stepping.

From the direction of the voices, Tulani spots a shadow move away from the jumbled stones – someone in a black, hooded cloak hurrying towards one of the trees they'd hoped to use for cover.

As Alptraum has had more experience with these things than her, Tulani is sure to stay just behind him, carefully watching his movements as well as the space around them… Her eyes pick up a figure darting away towards the trees and she reaches forward, tapping Alptraum on the shoulder to stop him and get his attention… pointing but remaining silent.

Alptraum stops and glances back to Tulani, then follows her pointing. His ears flick in that direction, listening. His eyes narrow and he unsheathes a dagger slowly, then rotates it in his hand so he can use the pommel to strike and knock out. He has no desire to kill someone innocent. He waits there, trying to determine what direction the person may be facing.

The dark figure reaches the tree, its back to the two intruders. After doing a little dance of some sort, it stands still… and then the sounds of water trickling against a tree trunk reaches Tulani and Alptraum.

Alptraum smirks. He decides something, and slinks his way toward the figure. They may need keys … or even better, the cloak, to take out the other sentry as well. Two disguises. His muscles tense in his arms, ready to strike at the base of the figure's skull when close enough.

The sentry makes no indication of noticing the Eeee sneaking up on him, as he finishes his business and hums a little martial tune.

Alptraum makes a quick backhanded jab with the base of his dagger into what he hopes is the base of the man's skull. Well, it's a bit off and instead knocks the guy forward … and promptly whacks his forehead against the tree. Alptraum holds his breath … and thankfully the figure crumples downward. "Yodhsunala assassin I am not," he thinks, amused. As quietly as he can, he tries to remove the figures cloak, while unfurling his wings to look cloakish in case the other sentry looks this way.

The cloak comes off easily enough, once the heavy limbs of the human who was wearing it are cleared. He has close-cropped blonde hair, but any other distinguishing features would require turning his face away from the tree.

Tulani hangs back as she carefully watches Alptraum sneak up on the figure, her hand reaching to her own weapon as she looks on, ready to help if necessary, and crouching down to make sure she wont be seen if something goes wrong. She gives a mental sigh of relief as she sees the figure fall.

Alptraum sets the cloak aside quickly, then uses his dagger to start cutting the man's shirt off and into strips. "Rope, you should have brought rope," he grouses inwardly. He gestures quickly to Tulani to come over.

Swiftly and silently making her way over to Alptraum at his signal, the Sphynx stands nearby and tilts her head, waiting for instructions from the Eeee.

"Okay, one down. We need to secure this one. Do you want to do that, or take out the other using the cloak as disguise to get close?" Alptraum whispers directly into her ear, while pausing at his work in making makeshift bonds.

"I'll take care of this one, if you can deal with the other," Tulani mouths by way of a reply, focusing on taking over the creation of the bindings from the torn cloth. She proceeds to bind the arms and legs of the unconscious man, weaving the knots tightly and wrapping together a few leftover pieces of the cloth to serve as a gag.

Alptraum flicks his large ears back and puts on the cloak. He grumbles quietly as he tucks them back into the neckline, then pulls up the hood to obscure his face. He gives Tulani a thumbs-up, then a quick, fangy 'trust me' smile. He heads up the hill, trying to move up in a way that approaches the other sentry from behind.

"Lars, hurry it up already," hisses the other sentry from within a stone archway. Alptraum can tell this human is female, at least, if not her age.

The Sphynx finishes applying the bindings and gag to the unconscious man, crouching down close to the ground as she watches Alptraum approach the area of the other guard.

Alptraum heads toward the figure, hunched over as if his stomach is cramping, letting the cloak flow over his form. The hand on his stomach is curled into a fist, ready to strike with a hard jab. "If I can get close enough, I'll go for the jaw," runs through his mind.

"What's wrong now?" the woman asks, and steps forward to reach for Alptraum's shoulder. "Too much blood tonight?"

Alptraum almost blinks at that statement. But, his strike doesn't hesitate. He comes up quickly, fist swinging hard for where he thinks her jaw is.

"Whu-" the woman starts to say, then jerks back when Alptraum swings at her, so that he ends up striking her shoulder instead. The blow is enough to spin the woman around though until her back is against the inner wall of the stone archway.

Alptraum doesn't let off the attack, trying to use his strength for an advantage. He lunges, trying to pin her against the wall and put his hand over her mouth to muffle her!

Tulani sees the near-miss and follow up of Alptraum's swing, slowly trying to creep silently closer, still crouched down near the ground.

"Mrrf!" the woman blurts into Alptraum's hand, her eyes widening in fear once she realizes he isn't Lars. Instinctively, she tries to bring her knee up hard between the Eeee's legs!

Alptraum almost instinctively sidesteps and the woman's leg grazes along the outside of his. He continues to hold firmly, trying to keep her silent. "Stop struggling or I'll rip out your throat," he hisses softly, then smiles fangily at her, hoping the light will catch his fangs.

This causes the woman to struggle harder, and try to reach the dagger sheathed on her belt, which the cloak has fallen away from.

Alptraum tightens the grip on her head. He tries to pull her head forward, then slam it back against the rock.

The woman's eyes roll up, and her body slumps as she's knocked out.

Alptraum shakes his head. "Sloppy," he thinks. He reaches down and picks the woman up, then carries her away from the archway and towards another tree, but not the one Lars is at.

Watching to see whether the struggle swings in the Eeee's direction or the woman's, Tulani stops moving, becoming very still for a moment as the woman falls, before getting up to follow Alptraum and occasionally glancing back at the entrance.

Alptraum goes about much the same as he did before. He removes the cloak for a disguise for Tulani. He then draws his dagger and starts cutting her shirt into strips for a makeshift set of roping. He at least faces her away from himself while he does so to give her some modesty.

Tulani catches up to Alptraum and immediately takes up cutting the strips of cloth from the woman's shirt so he doesn't have to be looking at her, passing the cloth back to him to be woven into bindings as she tears them away.

Alptraum works on weaving as Tulani cuts. He sets the finished strips next to Tulani. His head cants, then he remembers something and removes her dagger as well. He taps the dagger, then points back toward the man as if he intends to check on weapons on the other one. He then leaves Tulani to secure the woman while he makes sure the man is disarmed.

The man also carried a dagger, and both of them are just that: daggers. Neither of the sentries has the usual amulet or ritual blade, it appears.

Alptraum strips that dagger too and makes his way back to Tulani. "I really hope we have the right place," he whispers to her, "Or we have some explaining to do."

Tulani finishes cutting and weaving the last few ropes of cloth as Alptraum checks the other guard. By the time he has returned, she is done, having the unconscious woman bound and gagged. She nods to his comment and whispers back, "I certainly hope so… "

Alptraum nods back toward the archway, then looks at Tulani questioningly.

The black Sphynx nods and makes a return gesture with her hand as if to say 'after you' and silently stalking off towards the archway entrance.

Alptraum heads off toward, then into the archway. He keeps the cloak around himself to mask his form, but does free up his ears to listen again. He walks slowly, again, using his toes to feel for triplines.

Once they move deeper into the passage, a faint glow is noticed emanating from the quartz veins in the cut stone walls. It gets brighter the deeper they go, as the stone tunnel descends into the hill.

With the woman's cloak wrapped loosely around herself, Tulani notes the glow in the walls but keeps her eyes ahead.

Alptraum's ears swivel and cant rapidly, listening for any sounds as they go. Had the situation not been as dangerous, he would pause to check out the crystals … but perhaps another day.

After descending some distance, the sloping floor gives way to stairs that descend at an even steeper angle. The glowing veins provide a lantern's equivalent of light now, yet the bottom of the stairway is obscured by a misty haze.

Alptraum draws a breath, then makes his way down the stairs slowly. The haze worries him, but they have a mission to do.

The haze is odorless, but reduces visibility to just a few paces. What's more, it plays tricks. Sometimes the next step seems to vanish from underfoot, and at others serpentine shadows slither across the walls, always vanishing as soon as one tries to look directly at them. The air is also filled with a hushed buzz of whispered conversation, although no words can ever be made out.

Alptraum's eyes narrow. He switches to moving by sonar now, instead of relying on his eyes. He also tries to remain close to Tulani, so each can see the other.

Even though the Eeee's sonar produces clear images they seem to contradict one another with each pulse, once even making it seem that Alptraum is about to step into a pit.

Tulani shivers slightly as she descends down the stairs, just behind Alptraum, glancing back at the passageway as they leave it behind, heading for the misty floor. She dislikes the closeness of the walls, and is unsettled a bit by the shifting shapes. But she tries to focus on following Alptraum.

Alptraum just does the best he can, using a combination of sonar and vision to try and determine the way. Even so, it's slow going. "I don't like this," he whispers back to Tulani. He reaches down and pulls out his bladeless dagger. Maybe it can have some effect on the fog if it's based on necromancy.

There isn't any immediate reaction, but then the walls and ceiling begin to close in on the already narrow passage, and the light from the walls flickers and dies out.

Alptraum reaches back and feels for Tulani's hand. He does not want to get separated down here.

Listening for Alptraum, Tulani reached forward, grasping his seeking hand, and suppresses a small squeak as the walls close in. Ducking down a bit, her heart beats a little harder.

As the two clutch each other, the walls press in further… until, impossibly, the passage should be narrower than their own bodies. The sense of pressure is still there, but no actual crushing.

Alptraum remembers something the dragon said … keeping a person in a nightmare. "This has to be illusion," he whispers backwards to Tulani. "I can hear your heartbeat, you're scared. Do you fear darkness? Enclosures?" he says quickly, voice trying to hold calm as he squeezes her hand reassuringly. The pressure he feels also sets his nerves on edge, but he tries to fight that feeling, telling himself over and over it must be illusion. He continues stepping carefully forward.

His senses tell him there's a pit there… a spike… thorns… in bewildering succession, but Alptraum's foot lands firmly on a solid step.

The Sphynx' heart skips a beat as the hallway passes the point where it should have compacted her body. But as nothing actually happens she tries to calm herself, gripping Alptraum's hand tightly as she follows him, feeling somewhat reassured by the contact. She replies in a small voice, "I… don't like small places… "

"Picture in your mind flying free. The wind under your wings," Alptraum whispers back and squeezes her hand again. "Focus on the feel of my hand, and the sound of my voice," he adds, trying to reassure Tulani as a distraction for him, and just walk forward, feeling the ground with his toes before setting down firmly.

Tulani swallows hard and tries to follow Alptraum's advice, but her mind seems inevitably drawn to the thought of a small box… just big enough to fit a child inside. But she tries to shove the thought away, her wings twitching as she pulls up memories of her previous flights.

They are perhaps the longest dozen steps either Alptraum or Tulani have ever taken, but they clear the mist layer finally. The walls are once more providing soft light, and are back where they belong.

Alptraum takes a long breath. "That's probably to keep people out," he whispers to her. "I hate to push after that, but the sooner we're done here, the better. Can you continue?"

Tulani sighs mentally and works on quickly calming her breathing – a bit easier now that the walls are no longer quite so close. She doesn't reply to Alptraum's question right away, but nods her head, taking a moment to clear the image of that strange box from her mind before speaking. "Yes… No point in stopping now, let's go."

Alptraum releases Tulani's hand and nods firmly. He turns back to the passage and begins moving again. He goes back to scouting by sight and sound as he moves, trying to hear if anyone else is down there.

The stairs end soon after, in a stone antechamber. The square block pillars supporting the ceiling piece each have the glowing outline of a star-headed, possibly winged figure engraved in them. Another chamber lies beyond, blocked by a simple hanging curtain of cloth: clearly someone's bedding blanket, recently added.

The cloth does well to muffle any noise that might escape the chamber beyond, however.

Alptraum nods toward the figure glowing in the wall, then looks at Tulani. He draws his bladeless dagger as well as a bladed one. He sucks in a breath and slowly starts around the room in a circle. Destination: the clothed door.

There are a few supplies scattered around the room: bedrolls for about a dozen people, some cooking supplies and a sack full of garbage among them.

Tulani creeps after Alptraum, focusing on the cloth door and the space in front of them, remaining alert and ready.

Alptraum slips the tip of his dagger under the edge of the cloth and tries to edge it just slightly out of the way so he can look in.

Watching the room around them as Alptraum tries to get a look, Tulani glances behind them briefly, along the path they just trod.

Light spills out from behind the edge of the cloth. The room beyond is almost painfully bright in comparison to the dimly lit passage and antechamber.

Alptraum winces in momentary pain from the light. He holds completely still, waiting to see if his vision adjusts enough to peer inside.

A little behind the Eeee, Tulani avoids being hit with the full effect of the light, but blinks rapidly as she waits, almost holding her breath.

The chamber beyond is much larger, and cylindrical. Curved pillars arch to form a domed ceiling and the walls in between have larger, brighter versions of the star-headed figures. But most of the light comes from the very center: a mass of molten-looking crystal, formed into a shape reminiscent of an altar, although contoured for a humanoid's form rather than just flat on top.

Alptraum puts his ear up to the slit and listens for people on the other side.

Instead, what Alptraum (and even Tulani) hears is the gurgle of liquid being poured into cups, and the slight clinking of china.

Alptraum lets the blanket fall back down. He looks to Tulani, then whispers quietly, "Okay, I have an idea. You go to the other side. You shout out, "Master, we're under attack, Lars is down. Very loudly." If they come running to defend, we take them out as they come through. We could even use the bedrolls as nets… Tell me what you think?"

The Sphynx nods slowly to Alptraum's suggestion, whispering back, "I can't think of anything better, or safer… Let's gather up whatever we're going to need. They might have something slippery in the trash we could use… "

Alptraum nods his head. "Keep a lookout here, I'll check for some useful supplies," he whispers, then goes to check the garbage for slippery items and to fetch a bedroll as well.

A quick search of the garbage sack turns up some animal bones with a few scraps of flesh still clinging to them, and quite a bit of torn, bloody cloth. Nothing especially slippery, though.

Tulani stepped over to where the Eeee had been and took up position watching and listening at the crack in the curtains.

Alptraum grumbles at the findings. Instead, he goes to one of the bedrolls and cuts a long strip from it and looks to the doorway where Tulani is. If they can't affix it to anything, they can always hold it and make a tripline to trip those who come out, he figures.

This time, Tulani can hear the sliding of a chair on stone… and very faintly… Creens singing?

Tulani gestures quickly to Alptraum to get his attention as she hears the movement of a chair… it might be someone getting up, or leaving. Still listening at the crack for footsteps or anything like that, she makes a gesture towards the Eeee that looks like someone standing up, meaning someone might be coming soon.

Alptraum finishes cutting a strip from the bedroll and makes his way back quickly. He tosses one side of it to Tulani to hold and crouches down, motioning for her to do the same.

Quickly grabbing the other end of the cloth strip the Sphynx likewise stoops down at the opposite end of the cloth covered doorway, tilting her head and arching an eyebrow at Alptraum as though asking, Now?.

Alptraum raises a finger in a 'wait' gesture. He listens at the edge of the blanket to hear if someone is coming like Tulani pantomimed.

Again there is the faint sound of Creensong, and what could be someone shifting their weight while sitting in a chair – but nothing that might indicate someone approaching the door.

Alptraum nods once, firmly, to Tulani and mouths, "Now."

Tilting her head towards the doorway Tulani keeps a tight grip on the cloth strip, shouting at the top of her lungs what Alptraum had told her: "Master, we're under attack! Lars is down."

"I really don't consider this to be an attack, Miss Herfel," says a soft, somewhat aged voice. "Although I imagine Lars and Meg feel differently. Please, come in before your tea gets cold."

Alptraum gets a 'somehow, I expected that' expression and glowers. He looks expectantly at Tulani.

The Sphynx blinks at the voice speaking to her, looking surprised for only a moment before dropping the cord and standing up, replying in a soft voice, "Alright then." Staying fairly close to the wall she lifts back the hanging blanket and peers warily inside the room, before entering.

Alptraum, however, remains outside. His gut is churning nervously about this whole situation.

The room is as it was when peeking through the blanket, until Tulani sets foot inside. Then it is replaced with an entirely different scene: a stone balcony on the side of a castle, overlooking gardens and forest, with colorful Creens chasing and playing above the flowers. A table has been set out, with three chairs and settings. An ornate tea service with an unfamiliar family crest upon it takes up the center of the small cafe table, and in the far seat is an elderly looking black Khatta. His fur going to gray and he's dressed in a slightly more elegant black cloak and robes than the sentries were wearing. He stands up and manages a small bow to Tulani.

Gazing around at the sudden change of scenery, Tulani blinks a few more times, strangely for some reason she only feels mildly confused and easily suppresses the feeling, giving a polite bow back to the Khatta before her. Letting her eyes take everything in once more before speaking, she asks, "Well… You know who I am, and who would you be?" There is no particular tone in her voice.

"Abzhalom Dack, at your service," the old man says. "Please have a seat. And you can invite your companion in too. I'm quite interested in meeting her."

Slowly taking a seat at the table before her, Tulani replies, "Nice to meet you Abzhalom." Then tilting her head in an almost curious manner and suppressing a small smirk at his comment of 'her', she felt the mischievous urge to not correct this man, continuing, "It's my friend's choice whether to come in or not… " She turns to the curtained doorway, "Come have a seat if you like, Alptraum."

Alptraum, looking a bit perturbed at being called a 'her', moves the curtain out of the way and steps in. "Well, if he already knows I'm here," he comments. "But, I do have to say, I am a 'he', not a 'her'." His ears flick and he sonic bursts just once, to try and figure if the room is real or an illusion, or what have you.

The room is obviously an illusion, since you can't have this sort of vista underneath a hill, at night, in Sylvania. The look of surprised recognition on the sorcerer's face, however, appears quite genuine. "You?! You aren't supposed to be here, I wanted the Exile! What game is your mother playing at?"

"Oh, I don't know," Alptraum replies and heads over to sit in a chair. He reaches up and pulls off his bandana, letting his ponytail braided hair fall free, then sits down. "What sort of game are you playing?"

Tulani leans her head in her hand, ears perked forward curiously as she listens to the Sorcerer's sudden outburst. The look on her face is calm as she echoes Alptraum's query in a soft, almost curious voice, "Yes, what sort of game is this?"

"Winner takes all," the sorcerer says, scowling as he grasps something against his chest, hidden under his robes. The illusion of a balcony shatters, and the room is filled with a blinding white light.

And then, everything goes suddenly black…