Galactic Advisory: Seal All Doors
Fellow Travelers,
We find ourselves in something of a predicament. I must begin by acknowledging that much of the fault is on me personally as the Governor responsible for trans-dimensional door policy. For too long I have underestimated the threat of Human blight, a fact made transparently manifest during the recent disruptions on Arcanis IV. Simply put, I thought ourselves more capable and them less. I realize the error of my ways and I apologize for my lapses. I fully expect to pay a bill of accounting once this crisis is behind us.
On to the matter at hand. I am issuing an immediate advisory to seal all doors. I understand the impact associated with this writ. Exceptions may be granted in limited circumstances for crucial commercial and logistical arteries within the network, but petitions are cautioned to expect few deviations from the general policy. Humans have already obtained substantial access to crucial thoroughfares and we cannot risk additional contagion until they have been removed.
I have come to understand certain factions exist within the Traveling community advocating for accommodations or even peace with Humans. Many of these arguments are premised on the fact that we were the ones responsible for the commencing initial hostilities against the Humans. I remind those in support of such a terminally foolish course of action that the fact finding commission had not rendered their final report on the matter and that Humanity has proven to be entirely unreasonable as a counter-party in all respects. Regardless of the fault for initial hostilities, it cannot be disputed that Humans have retaliated in a manner far exceeding the initial harm and fully beyond the scope of reason.
No fewer than thirty-eight worlds have fallen to Humanity with a further one hundred and eighty-four currently under siege or threat of siege. An unknown number of additional doors may be compromised. This will not stand. The Travelers' Guild will concentrate the full might of its considerable resources on this incursion with a single goal in mind: the complete removal of Humanity from Traveler territory. This is the final say on the matter, written by my hand and enforced by the full might of the Travelers' Guild. Failure to comply will result in revocation of Keys and removal of violators from the Traveler's List.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I personally guarantee a swift resolution to the Human issue and adequate compensation for those impacted by the cessation of door travel.
Sincerely and Solemnly,
Adequis Hedgero III
Governor-in-Charge -- Trans-Dimensional Doorways
Signed with the Seal of the Travelers' Guild
-=-=-=-=-=-
Reft enjoyed his job.
Every day brought new adventure. You wake up in one world, go to sleep in another. Whatever happened in between never disappointed neither. If he was the mystic sort, he'd thank the lords above for shining good fortune on him. Alas for them dear lords, but he'd had enough misery along the way to nothing came from nothing but hard work. He earned this job. Deserved it. You'd be hard pressed to find a grittier bastard with a keener eye for potential than old Reft and the ones with the coins knew it.
Reft expected to be in good employ right up to the moment he died. A moment he never regarded as particularly far off given the line of work, but one that was yet to come.
Reft reverie came to an abrupt end as one of them coin holders made his way up alongside him, casting a shadow. Reft hauled up on his preparations and cast a glare at the man. He went by the name of Yort, which Reft gathered was some sort of unfortunate family name. Hard thing to be born into money and saddled with the expectations and nonsense of your forebears. Reft rose up from the skids and made his name proper.
But Reft didn't hold it against the man too hard. After all, his money spent just the same as any other. So Reft fingered his cap and gave the man a smile that damn neared hospitable.
"Mister Yort," Reft said.
Yort took a moment to mop his brow before proceeding. "Doorman Thacrin, when do you expect to be off?" Reft preferred scout, but doorman worked just the same.
Reft responded by yanking on a strap, tightening it up. He couldn't have the bits and biddle grinding along and noise making. Barging down doors required a discretion. A bit of sense and a sixth sense. Needed something special to make it through and back, especially on a first look. The mottles Yort had assembled up behind him weren't the sort to take a door, not by a long shot. They looked green as they came. First door for them and they showed it. Yort too. Reft could taste the sweaty anticipation from twenty paces off.
They didn't know the business they were actually about. Not like Reft and his crew did. Lucky for them, they weren't the ones going through the door first.
Doors were an expensive gamble. Both in coin and in lives. You bought a door, you bought the rights to the world beyond. Ain't not telling what might be on the other end of it, but you knew it'd be something. The Travelers didn't build a door unless it led to some place worth going. Some of 'em were too hostile to make much of, either on account on the locals or the air being fire, but enough riches had come out of doors to make it a gamble worth taking.
Never knew 'til you went through.
Yort played it risky. Rumor said he'd bet the family on it. Whole house could come crumblin' down if Reft didn't come back with good news. The scout hoped he didn't disappoint. Nice fat bonus and a residual was in it for 'em if it panned out. Not that Reft needed much more to make his life comfortable. The days of swiping snippets from tables were long behind him. Truth be told, he did it for the love of the craft.
Nothing like a new door. Nothing.
"I reckon no more then an hour. Just waiting on Harris and Tinga now. Everything else is checked and ticked twice." No small feat either. He toted around enough oddities and exotics that a full check took some doing. A small price to pay to bring along the answers to all a new world's questions, but it did complicate matters on occasion. Some folks said it was dangerous to go mixing between the worlds, something Reft didn't pay much mind to. His gear had been assembled across a dozen worlds and battle tested on enough occasions to build some faith in the setup. Of course, the scout didn't go about advertising that none though. Doormen kept their craft close. No sense in letting the world in on how they went about their business.
Yort heard the answer but didn't seem to know what to do with it. So he opted to idle about and look nervous. Every so often he'd shift weight and sigh, eventually prompting Reft to ask whether there was anything else doorman could do for 'em. Yort came to the right conclusion after a few more awkward hems and haws before making his retreat back to the rest of his camp.
Harris and Tinga came along before too long, both ambling up the road to the gate, saddled and strapped for the barge. They made for an odd couple with Harris looming over Tinga, all brawn and lumbering mayhem. Tinga posed a tidier package, flitting along lightfooted with her cane and orbs. Yort's party shuffled aside and game them due distance as they strolled through. Harris carried enough of a reputation to warrant a bit of caution by sensible folks, but most of 'em were casting the side eye at Tinga.
Folks got nervy around a proper mage. Magic spread just about as fast as people could gab about it, but old tales died hard. More than a few would be happy enough to let it stay a myth. Reft never understood that. Seemed to him mechination bore the same hallmarks of unnatural progress and that didn't seem to put the skitters in people. He supposed it was on account of magic coming from the doors rather than homegrown.
Superstitious fools.
Reft raised a hand in greeting and got two nods in return. Harris wordlessly thudded over cooled his heels, content to let Tinga and Reft carry the conversation. Tinga gave Reft a sly smile after taking a quick glance at Yort. "I imagine the coin getting nervous?"
Reft snorted.
"My apologies. Harris became entangled in a minor dispute," Tinga said. Harris grinned, showing off a new missing tooth. Half of Harris' mouth was glyphed platinum at this point, no reason not to make room for another addition. "The matter resolved to the satisfaction of all parties." Harris shook his massive head slowly from side to side and Reft got the impression one side of the deal didn't come out too well. "That said, it's advisable to move on from this place with some haste."
Sounded about right. Reft responded by slapping his hands on his thighs and pushing himself to a stand. He leaned over and grabbed his bag, hoisting it over his shoulder. Seasoned hands moved between straps and buckles, making sure the apparatus settled properly. Then he moved through a final check, hands darting here and there, touching runes, powder pouches, drawstrings, and a handful of other nasty bits that could help them navigate a scrape. Once he completed the task, he cracked his neck back and forth and then called out to Yort. "It's time."
Yort eagerly scrambled forward, leaving a bit of dignity behind him. "You're ready?"
Reft nodded. Tinga smiled sweetly. Harris stared. "We're ready," Reft said. "Open 'er up and we'll let you know what we see."
Sweat went unmopped on Yort's brow. His hands trembled slightly at his sides. All his conniving a came to the head right then and there. He'd either build a castle out of gold or he'd be begging coppers on a corner. Yort raised a hand and gestured with two fingers, prompting two men carrying a chest to scurry up beside him. The chest bore the hallmarks of elaborate mechination. Grinding gears, tooled wiring, and any number of sliding panels. Reft guessed the lockbox cost more than a handful of houses combined.
Yort licked his lips as his meaty hand reached up and navigated the laces on his tunic, reaching underneath and fishing about. Eventually he produced a key secured by a chain around his neck. The tremble in his hands moved on to a proper shake as he set to the task of unlocking the chest. Once he inserted the key, he proceeded through an elaborate set of back and forth turns, following some peordained protocol to navigate through the tricks and traps stored within the lockbox. After a bit of fannagling a small panel popped open and he pressed his thumb against it, wincing when a needle popped out and pierced the tip to produce a few drops of blood.
Harris grew bored, as Harris tended to do, large foot tapping as he waited on Yort. Reft felt a bit more sympathy for the coin man. It paid to be paranoid when it came protecting a key, possession being ten tenths of the law in this case. Eventually the top of the chest popped open and Yort pulled the key out. It looked the same as the others Reft had laid eyes on before. A charcoal grey obelisk about the length of a forearm covered over with glyphs connected by etched channels.
This one bore a different arrangement of glyphs and channels than the others he'd seen. Each key could only work on a single door. Part of the security the Travelers had worked out.
Keys were precious. As far as Reft knew, no one had sorted out how to make another one. Only way to get access was to pick one off the offworlders, something easier said than done. Especially now that they kept an eye out for Humans. Whole lot of 'em had gotten real skittish. Second they caught a whiff of a Human the keyholders would hightail it on through the door and seal it behind them, leaving all the rest of their kind to hell and ruin.
Yort marveled at the key, his eyes gleaming as he turned it about in his hands. Harris chose this particular moment to offer his first words. "We going or do I got time to drop a dump first?"
Yort glared over at Harris and then seemed to remember himself, turning on the smile instead. "Yes, of course. There's no reason to delay any further, now is there?" All honey and sliver, that one.
Harris gave a confirmatory grunt and made his way over to the large stone archway that stood in the middle of the clearing. He began to hop up and down, stretching side to side as he limbered up. Tinga glided over beside him and began to cast her spells about Harris. Body shields, rejuvenation spells, reflective surfaces, and any other number of tasty treats to make sure Harris made it through the barge in tact.
Reft got a bit nostalgic for the days when he'd do the first barge personally. He could still taste the excitement of being the first across the threshold. But he'd gotten too creaky and cranky for all of that now. Had to leave the dirty work to younger, dumber men. He gave Harris a slap on the back.
Young and dumb indeed.
Harris rewarded Reft with that half-toothed grin again, platinum glyphs shining. Harris ran his tongue along the glyphs, calling them to life one by one, making sure they were ready for action if he needed them. Reft gave him a thumbs up in response.
"You ready?" Reft asked.
Harris glanced at Tinga, who also gave him a thumbs up.
"Let's go," Harris said.
Reft turned and looked at Yort, who stood on the other side of the clearing by the control mechanism. He had the key in hand, hovering over the slot that would initiate the door. If he removed it prematurely, the lot of them would be stuck, but Reft didn't spend too much time thinking on that. Yort was too greedy to cut them off.
"Turn the key," Reft called out.
Yort nodded solemnly, whispering what Reft imagined was a prayer as he slowly lowered the key into the slot. The clearing began to rumble as glyphs along the floor lit up in successive fashion, making their way toward the door. Then the archway filled with an eerie orange light, swirling and sloshing about like a whirlpool.
Harris gave Reft a salute. "See you soon."
Then he barged in.