Part 1 - In Zwei Städten

[SunlessNick]

Seeing the party approach, one of the priests makes as if to meet you. Another interrupts him and takes his place. "Welcome," the interloper says. "My name is Wilhelm, and I wager you are from the waking world too, yes? How can I help you?"

[Philulhu]

”The waking world?” repeated Alex in a puzzled tone. “You mean that this has happened before to others? Not just us?”

[Mr. Handy]

"Pleased to meet you, Wilhelm," says Max. "I'm Max von Kleist. We're looking for a friend of ours named Elsie, also from our world, who disappeared. We think she may have come this way." He describes her and what she was wearing.

[SunlessNick]

”The waking world?” repeated Alex in a puzzled tone. “You mean that this has happened before to others? Not just us?”

"It has," Wilhelm replies. "There have always been those of strong spirit who have found their way into this world through their dreams. I flatter myself that I am such a one. My first visit here was eight years ago, shortly before the Armistice. But lately there have been more. Many more. And the Dreamlands have begun to change. I fear there is danger in it, but I cannot make my fellow priests understand. They are native to the Dreamlands, you see, so the changes affect them too.

"Pleased to meet you, Wilhelm," says Max. "I'm Max von Kleist. We're looking for a friend of ours named Elsie, also from our world, who disappeared. We think she may have come this way." He describes her and what she was wearing.

"I have not seen her I am afraid, but some of my fellows are about to take food to the Dotherites' camp. If you accompany them, the Dotherites will most likely be more receptive to your questions."

"The Dotherites are in fact one of the changes I spoke of. Their city was once a great trading power - they carried goods all across the Dreamlands. But now they are impoverished, and none remember what happened to cause it."

[HoneyDog]

“Dreamlands?” thinks Karl. “Some kind of parallel universe to ours, but only accessible by dreams?”

There is much he wants to talk to Wilhelm about, but duty comes first.

“Perhaps we can talk again, Herr Wilhelm” he says. “However our friend may need us. Please direct us to your brothers.”

[Philulhu]

Alex shook his head. Nothing was making sense but he knew finding Elsie was the most important thing.

[SunlessNick]

“Perhaps we can talk again, Herr Wilhelm” he says. “However our friend may need us. Please direct us to your brothers.”

"Whenever you wish," Wilhelm says; "the Dreamlands can be overwhelming." He directs you toward the four priests you saw pushing the handcart. They have nearly reached the street, but can easily be caught up with.

[Philulhu]

”Come on, let’s go!” said Alex impatiently, leading the way towards the four monks. ”Hey, there,” he called out as he approached them. Wilhelm told us you’re going to see the Dotherites. They have a friend of mine with them, so we’d like to tag along.”

[Mr. Handy]

"Danke," says Max. He hurries to the cart as well.

[SunlessNick]

”Come on, let’s go!” said Alex impatiently, leading the way towards the four monks. ”Hey, there,” he called out as he approached them. Wilhelm told us you’re going to see the Dotherites. They have a friend of mine with them, so we’d like to tag along.”

"That's right. You are welcome to come," one of them replies. They do not ask for any help with the cart, but accept it if offered. The journey is a short one, round two street corners until you are behind the row of warehouses. You arrive at a small district of the city that appears to have been walled off, although the gate proves to be unlocked as the priests lead you through it.

Beyond, the streets are narrow, almost alleys, making the granite buildings loom like giants. The architecture is Arabic in character - they are devoid of the metal fittings you've seen so far, though there are marks on the edges of door- and window-frames suggesting that such may have been stripped away. (Alex recognises a foreign quarter when he sees one).
The people are darker than most you have seen in Hlanith thus far, but thin and unhealthy looking. Most wear robes - in many cases their clothing is ragged, but still clean and worn neatly. They gather around the priests, obviously eager for what is being offered, but their behaviour is orderly, and none of them shove one another. All of you remember privation from the end of the war until the hyperinflation a few years ago - most Berliners struggled to keep their pride, and the same is plain to see among these Dotherites.
Several of the women are sizing up the men in the men in the party.

[Mr. Handy]

Max, ever the charmer, smiles at the ladies.

[Philulhu]

Alex scanned the crowd. He tried to find a vantage point where he could see over the heads of the people to see if he could spot Elsie.

[SunlessNick]

The priests begin passing food out to the crowd. Louis, perhaps surprisingly, helps them do so.

Helmut seems fascinated by his surroundings, and wanders a short distance away, looking at the buildings. "Have you ever known a dream's surroundings to be so solid?" he asks Karl, running his hand down a granite wall. "The way that Wilhelm fellow was speaking made it sound as if most people here are native. Is this a whole world unto itself, do you think?"

Max, ever the charmer, smiles at the ladies.

Most turn their attention back to the food after a few smiles, but a couple sidle a bit nearer, letting Max get a good view as they move.

Alex scanned the crowd. He tried to find a vantage point where he could see over the heads of the people to see if he could spot Elsie.

Friede joins him at it.

OOC,Alex's Spot Hidden 45 Friede's Spot Hidden 35 Rolled 41 and 55

Elise isn't visible, but after a minute, you see a doorway further down the street. A Dotherite man is skulking in it, watching the proceedings, while clearly attempting to remain hidden. He is not dressed the same way as the people around you - instead his clothing is befitting to a nightclub.

[HoneyDog]

"Not quite unto itself, I think" Karl replies to Helmut. "If we can come from outside and shape it, then it must be connected to ours. It would be fascinating to learn exactly what the connection is."

[Philulhu]

Alex looked away from the man, but only so far as to keep him in his peripheral vision. ”Don’t stare,” he said to Freide. ”But the guy in the doorway over there - he’s not dressed like everyone else, is he? Like he’s just stepped out of a nightclub.”

He waits for Friede to check and confirm his suspicions, before deciding what to do about it.

OOC,How close is the man?

[SunlessNick]

"Not quite unto itself, I think" Karl replies to Helmut. "If we can come from outside and shape it, then it must be connected to ours. It would be fascinating to learn exactly what the connection is."

"It would indeed. I wonder how many times we came here before we became conscious of it."

[SunlessNick]

Alex looked away from the man, but only so far as to keep him in his peripheral vision. ”Don’t stare,” he said to Freide. ”But the guy in the doorway over there - he’s not dressed like everyone else, is he? Like he’s just stepped out of a nightclub.”

He waits for Friede to check and confirm his suspicions, before deciding what to do about it.

OOC,How close is the man?

Friede nods. "I don't recognise him, but I remember plenty of people dressed like that."

The doorway is about fifty yeards away. It would be imposible to appoach down the street without him seeing you, but there's an alley just beyond him, and others near you, so it may be possible to get around behind him.

[HoneyDog]

"It appears to be in decline, much like our world" says Karl sadly. "Maybe that's not a coincidence."

[Mr. Handy]

"I wonder if the people of Hlanith dream of Berlin," says Max, trying to recall if he's seen anyone like them while awake.

[Philulhu]

”Keep an eye on him,” said Alex to Friede. “I’m going to see if I can get around behind him.”

He turned and headed back the way they came, drifting towards the side. When he judged he was unlikely to be seen by the watching man, he ducked into an alley and started making his way back. He’d counted his steps so he had a rough idea where he was in relation to the others and the watching man.

Once Alex thought he’d covered enough ground, he cut back towards the Main Street, carefully observing where he was in relation to his target.