Into the Southern Caves

Our party makes its way into the caves. To remind you, we are a mix of human (Jarlath, Annafrid and myself) and various varieties of elf (Artizza, Fertal, Tarin Gazin 2, Lueoth, Ia'adoire and Jenny Elf). We only have one really experienced magic user in our party, which could be a weakness based on what little we've been told about this quest, which is that we have to stop a certain dragon who seems to be on the verge of a major breakthrough that would result in multi-world slipgate wrecking, just as soon as he finishes playing with a winged girl named Checkers and her friends. That's about all we've been told. We don't even know who these "friends" are. Apparently inter-office politics amongst the Celestrials has prevented us being told any more. I'm not sure whether to be depressed or reassured that even at such a rarified level politics still plays a major role.

We take the left-hand entrance, to check whether this world's Astra is chained up in the familiar place. To my relief, she isn't. But a little further on, we enter a chamber where we find not only this world's Fred and Astra, but a winged girl who must be Checkers, and what looks like this world's Belboz. No sign of the dragon, though.

We don't know yet whether this Belboz is good or evil. In some of his analogues he's been one, and in some the other. However, if he's helping this world's Fred and Astra, that strongly suggests that means well. I note that Checkers isn't just a human girl who somehow has wings; she's clearly not human, though human-like. The Fred is a typical Fred; he seems to be carrying a slight injury to one foot. The Astra comes as something of a surprise, though. I'd say that she was overfond of her food, but oddly all of the excess weight seems to have gone to her bust and hips. She's strangely dressed for the caves, wearing a perilously low-cut evening gown.

Naturally enough, all four of them are startled to see us - to see me most of all, perhaps, given my obvious close resemblance to "their" Astra. Fred's hand goes for his sword, and I notice that Astra reacts in the same way before she remembers that she isn't wearing one. Checkers goes for her spear.

1. "Don't be alarmed," Jarlath says. "Like you - I assume - we are here to destroy the dragon."

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