Allen: "Who needs teleport?  I have a horse.  It's like teleport, but I can kill it."

Explanations for what essence is:
"It's dinosaurs, crushed over millenia."
"Soylent essence is people.  It's people!"

Game 7 session notes:

Graz'zt stands before the group, darkly handsome in his regal finery.  His long, ebony hair cascades across his shoulders; his mighty chest heaves amidst the flickering red and black energies of the dark nexus.  The captain of the guard of Terminusshivers slightly.  Even through the the dark prince's clothes, he can sense the shape of the heavily-muscled and well-oiled body beneath.  The captain loosens his gorget slightly; the passionate gaze of Graz'zt strokes his countenance like the gentle kiss of a red-hot poker.  The mix of pleasure and pain is exhilarating, and sends gentle excited shivers rolling up and down his spine.  Beneath his chainmail skirt, the captain feels a stirring as what the hell god damn it who got slash in my session notes.

Graz'zt is accompanied by a pair of succubi, a pair of babau, and a pair of quasits.  There are several members of the guard in attendance, as well as a few geomancers who stuck around to look at the changed nexus.  The geomancers that Simone saw leave were a male fire genasi (Rudiger) who is later identified as the High Geomancer of Oraculum, a male gnome (Tallahassee Wizzlesnaps) who is later identified as the High Geomancer of Terminus, and a female (blonde-haired) eladrin (Talori) that she recognized.  Three more stayed; a male eladrin who we know as the High Geomancer of Arx (Silius Vartarra), a different (dark-haired) female eladrin geomancer (Jenna) who is soon identified as the High Geomancer of Terminus, and another male eladrin (Broboon) who defers to the other two.

Everything happens at once.  Arwel, mounted on Sebastian, tries to grab Haroun, who resists.  They argue.  Arwel wants to run to the airship; Haroun wants to stay in case his friends need help.  Kith, invisible, motionless, and the size of a grasshopper, tries to stay unnoticeable.

Sahrit asks Graz'zt, "Who are you here to serve?"

"That depends.  Who constructed this portal?"

The High Geomancers enter the dark energy, grimacing slightly.  The High Geomancer of Terminus speaks, "It was us who constructed this, but as you can see, we are uncomfortable in this energy.  Can you leave this, uh, portal?"

Graz'zt: "Of course, it was but a portal.  We can retire anywhere more comfortable of your choosing."

HGT: "Come with me, ALL OF YOU.  Word of this is not to spread."  She turns to the guards.  "Make sure no one leaves."

Arwel begins to try to grapple Haroun to get him out of the area.  Haroun turns to water to avoid the grapple, and rushes toward the guards who are heading over to collect them and ensure that they come along.

The guards do notice Cid, whose actual name of "Cameron" will not be used in these notes (on account of him owning an airship), and ask him to come along.  Kith, unnoticed hops onto Simone's hat, and tells her that they need to leave; to the other side of the world if possible.

Graz'zt cocks his head, and speaks, just as Simone teleports away with Kith, "Who is that I hear?  What is that melodious voice?"

Simone disappears.

Graz'zt smiles and turns back to the High Geomancer of Terminus.  "No matter."

The guards speak quietly to the High Geomancer of Terminus, "One of the witnesses escaped using some kind of magic."

HGT: "You three, stay here.  Search the area."

We are all dragged to the geomancer's guild, where we are placed into a large conference room with an oval table, where we are told to talk things out; identify ourselves, and say everything that we saw and know about what just happened, because the HGT suspects that we must know something to have been there at all.  Sahrit is immediately bored by the prospect of talking through all of this.

On the way there, Haroun makes Gwen and Sahrit stone sober by neutralizing the poisons in their systems, and Gwen quietly cautions Sahrit to play dumb.

22 people are in this room; 4 guards, 5 PCs, 6 geomancers, and 7 demons.  Most of us sit.

Sahrit asks, quite persistently, how they knew how to perform this technique.

"Since you seem so adamant, we discovered this technique after it occurred spontaneously in a small settlement outside Arx.  We replicated the technique safely in Arx, and thought it might have a stabilizing influence here."

Sahrit is insistent. "What settlement?"

"Fochlucan."

"Spontaneous?"

"The details aren't important.  I believe that the people of Arx are quite happy with the transformation so far."

The High Geomancer of Arx, Vartarra, nods.  "Many of the people there find it quite soothing, and those who don't have moved to other settlements."

Sahrit is rubbing his shoulder, a detail which is no doubt rife with significance to those with the proper context.

Graz'zt: "What is it you would have me do here, as you are the ones responsible?"

Jenna, HGT: "We did not attempt to bring anyone here.  If I may be so bold, who are you?"

Graz'zt: "Graz'zt, lord of the Abyss.  I bring considerable power to bear, and it is all yours to command."

Arwel whispers to one of the geomancers, Broboon, "But what is the catch?

Sahrit: "What exactly summoned you here?"

Graz'zt: "You don't really understand how this works, do you?  We are demons.  There is a procedure for these things.  You need a circle, and then we are bound to your will."

Haroun thinks that Graz'zt's earlier claim that he was the lord of the Abyss doesn't sound right, and speaks up to Arwel, "Wait, I thought the Abyss was really big and the demons there were constantly fighting for control."

Sahrit: "You have no idea who summoned you, though."

Graz'zt spreads his hands.  "Those who created the circle, of course."

Sahrit suddenly looks worried and says, "Fuck."  He reaches for his shoulder and clutches; the room spins as though a minor quake just came from Sahrit, but nothing appears to happen.

Sahrit: "But that was a summoning circle."

Graz'zt speaks, as though to a particularly slow child, "Yes."

Many of the group are exchanging nervous glances.

Sahrit: "So, it doesn't sound as if anyone wants to 'fess up to summoning you."

Graz'zt: "On the contrary, these fine folks have taken the credit."

Jenna: "All I said is that we transformed the nexus, not that we summoned you."

Sahrit: "He seems to think that's one and the same."

Graz'zt: "Indeed."

One of the geomancers asks if Graz'zt could return from whence he came.  Graz'zt accedes.  One of the other geomancers cautiously asks if it would (hypothetically) be possible to accompany Graz'zt back to the Abyss.

Graz'zt chuckles.  "I suppose it might be possible for us to return, of course, but I do not think you would be comfortable there."  He continues, "This portal is of a unique nature.  It works differently.  In normal cases, the portal only stays open long enough for us to step through.  In this case, the portal has remained open."

He shrugs, "Let us return to the matter at hand.  What is it you wish us to do?  In coming to you, I bring with me all of the legions of the Abyss."

Tallahassee speaks: "Legions of the Abyss... so what are we talking about here, fifty thousand troops?"

Graz'zt smiles indulgently: "A bit more than that.  Let us merely say, as many as you require."

Tallahassee is excited: "With that much strength, we could finally crush the Empire once and for all."

Arwel: "Don't forget about the feywood."

Tallahassee: "What about the feywood?"

Arwel: "We could look for more pockets of people."

Tallahassee: "What do you mean?"

Arwel: "We are in one pocket, surrounded by the feywood."

Fire Genasi: "Your theory is that there are other...  pockets?"

Arwel: "You don't think we're the only one?"

Fire Genasi: "You make a good point."

Another quake emerges from Sahrit, larger this time.  Arwel disappears, and Sahrit feels an overwhelming positive presence wash over him, negating his attempt to switch, as though something on the other end is interfering with what's going on.  In Arwel's place, a warforged named Ed appears.

Jenna turns to Sahrit: "Please refrain from performing any geomancy here, especially something as disruptive as that."

Sahrit is questioning Ed, based on the unexpected results of whatever just happened: "Where the hell were you?"

Ed: "The imperial city, in the presence of the Emperor."

Sahrit: "I thought the Emperor was dead."

Ed: "Apparently not."

Vartarra: "You performed a geomancy that affected the Empire?  We had thought that was impossible."

Sahrit: "I as well, but it seems I was mistaken."

Vartarra: "You mean you are capable of producing such phenomena within the bounds of the Empire?"

Sahrit: "I wouldn't call it me producing it."

Vartarra: "We should speak of this later.  In the mean time, we are being disrespectful of our guest."

Graz'zt: "You spoke of an offense against the empire.  This pleases me."

Wizzlesnaps: "It was just an idea, but it seems like a good one.  We could win!"

Gwen: "That is a good idea."

Ruddiger: "Wizzlesnaps, have you stopped to consider that we may not have full control over these individuals?

Graz'zt just smiles and spreads his hands.  "You have full control.  I assure you, if I had the power to destroy you, I would.  As it is, I will serve you until the duration of this spell ends, and then I will return to the Abyss.  When I return to my kingdom, I will research every way I can to destroy you.  The pathways to this place are limited, to say the least."

Sahrit quips about how bad of an idea this was.  Jenna responds, positing that Sahrit might be responsible for the summoning of the demons, as he "meddled" by entering the nexus before it fully stabilized.

Vartarra asks Ed, "If you don't mind this brief diversion, I would like to hear more of what you saw in the Empire."

Ed asks, "Whom am I addressing?"

The geomancers identify themselves again, as does Graz'zt.

Ed gets caught up on recent events.

Ed, to the geomancers: "Was that intentional?"

Jenna: "Merely a side effect.  We drilled the nexus for energy for prophesy, and needed this ritual to correct a minor instability."

Sahrit: "If it was so minor, why did it require something so drastic?"

Ed: "My associate raises a good point."

Broboon sighs: "There's no point now in maintaining that claim.  We drilled deeper that we had previously."

Ed: "Can I get a date stamp?"

Sahrit tells him the date.

Ed: "I've travelled back in time?"

Vartarra: "You know what is to occur?"

Ed: "Oh, he's dead, but he's not exactly abandoning his post.  I don't think I would be able to provide you with much more information of use.  He is the emperor, and despite being assassinated, he is still doing his job."

Talori: "He has returned from the dead?  Is he not twisted beyond all recognition?"

Ed claims that despite having been killed, he seems fine, and is the same as he was.  The geomancers are confused, and the gnome starts coming up with far-fetched ways that this could be possible through flow.

Graz'zt speaks: "In that case, I am even more surprised you do not wish to leverage my forces against him, for he will surely corrupt the Empire from within."

The geomancers continue to question Ed.

Vartarra: "Did he say anything about his tactical plans?"

Ed responds incredulously.

The geomancers apologize, "I'm sorry; we do not know your relationship to the emperor."

Ed points at the gnome: "I was made in his city.  My function should be public knowledge.  I make maps."

Wizzlesnaps approaches: "Serial number!  Serial number!"  He examines the warforged carefully, thumps his exterior, and hits his 'on' switch a few times.

The conversation turns to the airship.

Ed: "You got that thing working again?"

Jenna turns apologetically to Cid: "I apologize, you had a journey you wished to take."

The geomancers vote to allow the PCs to leave, provided they swear an oath not to reveal any of the information about this "debacle".

Sahrit, in connection to the inversion of the nexus, asks about the capital-S-Sword, and reveals that he was part of the escort for its journey to Intempestivus on the lineship.

The geomancers were surprised that he knew about it, and state that they were going to study it in Intempestivus, but it never arrived.

Ed: "So we have your leave, then?"

Jenna: "Provided you swear the oath."

Gwen: "What exactly are the terms of this oath?"

Argument ensues about the exact terms, and a cleric is sent for.

Sahrit asks Graz'zt while they wait if he knows anyone by the name of Kas.  Graz'zt smiles in a slimy way.  "Should I?  Why would you ask such a question of me?  Is she a demon?"  His smile, however, says that he knows she is not.

Sahrit bluffs, "Oh, no reason."  This is tremendously plausible.  "No, she is not a demon."

Graz'zt asks, "Would you exchange with me a question of a personal nature, in trade for an honest answer?"

Sahrit considers, then accepts.  Graz'zt states "One known as Kas visited my realm once.  Do you know the grig known as Kithlandil?  And if so, where is he?"

Sahrit: "Yes.  He was with us, but he is not now."

Graz'zt: "Do you anticipate seeing him again?"

Sahrit: "Perhaps I could tell you that if I find what you say about Kas important enough."

Graz'zt: "There are but a handful who have meddled in my affairs and survived, but Kas is one such.  But it has been many decades."  Sahrit waits for more information.  "She is an enemy to me and those who have pledged their allegiance to me.  And if you are wise, she would be an enemy to you.  She is a meddler, who takes things of yours without asking.  Precious things.  How do you know her?"

Sahrit: "You could say we have a mutual enemy."

Graz'zt: "If you wish to right the wrong that she committed against me, then you will tell your friend Kithlandil that I very much wish to see him again."  He pauses.  "I tire of this conversation.  Let us discuss war."

Jenna, to the PCs: "If you wish to remain, I suppose we could permit that for a while.  You must remain until the cleric shows up."

Suddenly, the cleric shows up: "You called for me?"  He is an earth genasi.

The geomancers fill him in on the oath that needs to be sworn, and he agrees, provided the plenipotentiary agrees.  The geomancers assure him that plenipotentiary will agree.  The cleric invokes the oath, calling upon Erathis.

Cleric: "Speak the words that you wish them to swear."

Jenna: "Oh, I don't know.  Keep it simple.  No loopholes."

Haroun speaks up, invoking Perfect Phrase, and we all discuss it out of game.

"We hereby swear not to reveal information regarding the appearance of Graz'zt and other demons from the Terminus nexus to anyone other than those who are already aware of the event's transpiring."

Everyone present except Gwen and Cid (Haroun, Sahrit, and Ed) swear the oath, though Sahrit and Gwen are not happy about it.

Cid attempts to talk his way out of the oath.  "I have repeatedly demonstrated my loyalty.  Is it really necessary to make me swear an additional oath?"

The geomancers confer, and Vartarra states, "Unfortunately, in this case, it is not a question of loyalty.  If you are loyal, you should have nothing to worry about."

When it comes time for Gwen to swear, she claims to be a low-ranking servant of house Tal'Arabep, and therefore required to divulge any information that her masters require.

Vartarra states: "A servant of house Tal'Arabep.  You should be happy with the inversion, then."

Gwen nods, and lowers her head, as a bastard child of a noble house should.

Vartarra: "Then we will modify the oath to exclude those you have sworn to serve."

Gwen: "Crap.  I can't think of a way around that."  (No, she didn't really say that in-game)

Jenna says: "I will remind you all that our safety and freedom depend upon this oath being upheld."  Bla bla bla, speech about the Empire being short-sighted and possibly doing something bad if they catch wind of this.

Ed then begins to talk to the geomancers about the flow being manipulated.

Perhaps there is something more going on.  Perhaps there are forces beyond us and the Empire.

Jenna turns to Sahrit: "I believe you know something of this."

Sahrit explains that there have been unusual quakes that have been affecting him and his companions lately.

Jenna: "But you seem to invoke it of your own will."

Sahrit says that it's not really of his own will, and is a recent development.

The geomancers let the PCs go, as we have all sworn the oath, and ask that we leave .

Ed wishes to talk to the geomancers more about the odd quakes, but the presence of Graz'zt is kind of pressing.  Before we go, however, Ed suggests that the Empire be brought in regarding any discussion of this issue; he points out that a quake just occurred in the presence of their Emperor, so they might be quite willing to talk.

Graz'zt points out that there is a tactical advantage that will be lost if diplomatic talks are started.

Ed counters that the tactical advantage would be fleeting at best, and that any war would quickly turn into a bloodbath.

Graz'zt: "Why do you care if it were my people who are dying?"

Ed: "It wouldn't be just your people.  I also don't know if your people stay dead if they die here."

Graz'zt: "I suppose that talks could be...  entertaining.  If we were to talk to the right people."

Ed: "Do you know of General Isaline?  She would be a good person to start with."

The geomancers are unfamiliar.

Ed: "She has also experienced a number of these events."

The geomancers agree to consider his advice, but are not optimistic; their ideology is just too opposed to the Empire's.

Tallahassee: "This may be our only chance to oppose them in force.  Until now we've only had defenses."

The geomancers are probably going to have one hell of an argument once we're out of the room.

Jenna: "This has been a stimulating discussion, all of you, but I must now ask all of you to leave."

Vartarra gives us all (except Ed) hard looks and a brief talk about how he really shouldn't let us leave, but that he will, because he is generous and our mission is important.

The geomancers bid us goodbye, and we head off.

We plan to take off in the morning, and most of us head back to the Blustery Badger to sleep.

Gwen and Sahrit play some dueling banjos at the inn, with Barnabas dancing.  The GM later describes this as "cockwavery".

Ed goes to the nexus, and acquires data.  Apparently, the dark energy drains his battery.

Cid also goes to the nexus, disguised as Joe Average.  There's a bit of a crowd that's gathered around the nexus and is asking hard, probing questions that other news stations are afraid to ask.  The guards are warning everyone that they can't refresh as normal.

Back at the Blustery Badger, the house is packed to standing room only, and then into the street.  The bards are playing for free food and drink and thrown coins (about 200 gold worth, in the end).  Haroun is being inconspicuous, since everyone is paying attention to the bards and dancing bear.  Ed starts working at the bar, because they're obviously not staffed for this kind of crowd (it's normally an off night).

Simone and Kith, meanwhile, are in the middle of the deep wilderness.  Kith earth melds, and Simone sleeps inside of a tree.

Simone finds a nexus gives Haroun a dream about her and Kith joining them after they're aboard the airship and it's in flight.

Haroun and Simone have a bit of a discussion; Simone reveals that Kith needed to leave, and a scene flashes in the dream of Kith in a cage, and a woman with a sword striking at the cage and releasing him.  This is clearer than the last time Simone saw it; before she could not see the woman.  Haroun empathizes with imprisoned Kith, and another scene from his past flashes around him of him in a technomagical prison, and the walls literally getting torn down.

Meanwhile, Sahrit is dreaming.  Vance comes to him, and states that secrets are being exchanged, and that they should be privy to these secrets.  Vance pulls him into Haroun and Simone's dream.

As Sahrit appears, a woman materializes, helping to tear down the walls of the prison.  It is the same woman.

Sahrit cautions that it is not safe to communicate at this time; they feel a presence observing.  Haroun tells Simone that they are leaving tomorrow, and asks, "Will I see you then?"

Simone: "It depends how long it takes you to get to us."

The dream ends.

Back in Sahrit's dream, Vance is angry.  "That was less productive than I hoped."  He digs his hand into Sahrit's shoulder, and pain blossoms forth as a piece of Sahrit's soul burns away.

In the morning, Gwen heals Sahrit of the wound damage to his shoulder, cleans the blood off his shirt, and then sends a message home by techno-mail (courier).

Meanwhile, in wilder-land, Simone uses a div 10 effect to find Kith, and they forage for breakfast, light a fire, and cook some breakfast.

Back in techno-country, we head off to the airship.  Patriana Waddlesticks, the primary designer of the airship, is nowhere to be seen, and Arwel has disappeared, so we don't know that she was supposed to have been intimidated into coming along.  The gnomes insist on teaching some of us how to operate the airship; specifically, Cid, Ed, and Haroun.

Ed, Cid, and Haroun converse for some time after the lessons end, covering a diverse number of topics that I no longer remember the details regarding, but which included basic plans for the exploratory mission, Ed's various functions and abilities, and who would win in a fight; the Vanquisher or Batman.

Cid eventually confronts the gnomes regarding the presence of an engineer to help repair the ship on the mission, and they all balk.  As a result, Cid asks the gnomes to talk to whomever is in charge, and gets directed to the home of one Patriana Waddlesticks.  He wanders off to convince her to come along, his silver tongue in tow.

While he is away, Sahrit and Gwen show up, ready to leave as soon as Cid gets back.  While we all wait, a stranger comes to visit.  He is a well-dressed man who makes us all roll will saves.  Now, this is merely idle speculation, but the man, who introduces himself as "Gregor", is almost certainly Graz'zt.  We all decide we like him very much, possibly due to the "charm monster" spells he's tossing out, but also possibly due his sexy sexiness.  Because damn.  That is one hella sexy man (see intro paragraph).

After answering a few pointed questions about Kith - who we don't know where is with any certainty, since we don't know he's with Simone - Cid returns, having negotiated moderately ridiculous pay for Patriana.  The gnome is packing, and Cid manages to pass his will save against Gregor and avoid answering any questions...  for now.  Gregor leaves, and we begin preparations for the journey.

Patriana arrives, and we take off.

Shortly after we take off, however, the "Demand" spells start rolling in from Gregor.  This is why we can't have nice things.