People have been trying for some days to drive away the fog. Several, having tired themselves out, retreat back to other activities aside from a few who lingers and one who arrives...

Maggie does not make it very far from the group. She stands on the curve of the road, staring out into a darker part of the fog bank. Shifting from one foot to the other, she turns slowly to return. Noting that Amy and Dirk have left, she slows near Danielle and Kyrie.

Danielle waves as maggie returns and then to Kyrie "You going in?"

Kyrie replies "I was planning to, yeah. See if I can't pick up some more supplies for it. Maybe learn a little more. Want to come with?"

Maggie returns the wave, her expression remaining sober. Turning to Kyrie, she purses her lips together slightly, "Dunno. Maybe? On the one hand, I am curious to see whether we get back to the same place. On the other, the fog just tried to pull me in and I am not all that inclined to get too close. So... Are we in need of supplies?"

Kyrie says "We've been lucky to find things in houses. A little too lucky, if you ask me. I do like luck, mind you, but I don't like to rely on it for things like eating. This isn't exactly farmable land, with that sky the way it is, and we're cut off from any fishing or game."

Maggie nods, "True enough. I've tried starting a garden, but... I don't have confidence in it. There isn't enough water around here and I don't trust the rain. Tarnished coins won't nurish plants." She glances over toward the Inn where her makeshift garden struggles. Looking back, she inhales, "Well... I can go with you. I want to talk to the priests at the Church about getting some produce set aside for us."

Kyrie nods to that, and takes out the belt that she's obtained from one of the houses. She looks to Danielle then, and says "Coming, too? Things tied together came apart, so I figured we'll all just hold on to this." Meanwhile, she steps towards the fog and draws her sword to poke menacingly at it. "Back! Back, foul mist!"

You feel that you've made a little progress at finding a way through the fog.
System Note: Trying to see through the fog costs will.
The fog lifts, allowing you to now pass through.

~~~ Exits ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Switchback and Lower Amber City
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danielle hms "It didn't look like those folks were well-nourished. I don't know that they'll have that much to spare but we won't know until we try

Maggie nods thoughtfully, her smile faintly sour. "Yeah, but maybe they can grow more if we help..." She pauses as Kyrie walks forward and pokes at the fog. Her mouth drops open when the fog actually listens and fades away, "No... /way/. No way." Striding forward, she stops right where the fog should be and reaches forward to see if her senses have been affected. "What did you do? It's... Gone!"

Uhhh...

Kyrie's jaw drops. Actually drops, leaving her mouth agape. She doesn't look like she knows what to do with this information. She stares, then looks at the tip of her rapier, then back where the fog used to be.

"Uhhh..."

Danielle blinks as she peers over the cliff down to the now exposed city "That certainly does look like amber"
Maggie draws the dagger again, holding it so that the blade is concealed along her forearm, hilt comfortably in her palm. "Oookay... Stay here for a sec, please. If it snaps back, I don't want you all lost." Taking a few steps into where the fog once was, she pauses, then takes a couple more. Her free hand waves in front of her, then out to the side. Impulsively, she jumps a couple of times. Yes, she probably looks like an idiot, but... Shrugging, she turns back, "Seems okay."

Kyrie still looks like she has no idea how that happened, her blade still out ahead of her. "Uhhh..." She does not generally look like someone at a loss for words, even if she's not really the very talkative type. Finally, she manages "Well. Okay, then." and starts walking forward. Though, she offers ends of the belt to the others. Just in case.
Danielle takes the belt as if she doesn't trust what she's seeing as she steps slowly forward
Danielle is leaving, heading for Lower Amber City.
Maggie returns to the others and accepts the end of the belt, "Thanks." Following along after the others, she lets Danielle lead, then Kyrie as she takes up the rear. Seems familiar, in a way.


~~~ Lower Amber City ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unknown ~~~

An air of dingy, beaten down determination lingers over the buildings that hunch together in nearly painful silence. Piles of partially scattered rubble lie as evidence of buildings no longer standing. Here and there, chipped paint lingers around broken lintels and doors partially askew. Every now and then the clatter of a roof falling in frightens one of the packs of mangy dogs and prides of scrawny cats that slink almost soundlessly from shadow to doorway in search of a scrap or a crust or, perhaps, a nice, fat rat.

The buildings slump around a central square where a cracked and broken fountain holds pride of place. Once, a leaping dolphin rose above the basin, water spraying from beneath the animal's stone tail as though holding it up. Now, most of the curved stone has fallen to crack into chunks against the tumble-down walls that once held sparkling water. Pipes still gleam within and fresh water trickles from them to pool in a curved ceramic bowl, still glazed a pale, almost sea-green.

To the east lies the tops of sheer, white-grey cliffs that plunge down and down to the rocky beach below. To the west, the Market opens up to allow merchants or families to sell what little they have. North, Kolvir climbs more steeply, angling to caress the sky. Warehouses, hulking remnants of a more prosperous time, rise to the south.

~~~ Exits ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Market and Gateway Road
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maggie arrives from Halfway Lookout.
As they get past what used to be the fog, the pace a brisk one just in case it comes back, Kyrie's forehead wrinkles. "This isn't where we were before." she says, looking around them.

Maggie slows as they move into a more dilapidated area. "This... Might have been..." She looks around, taking note of a pack of dogs slinking around a mess of a tumbledown building. "Where? It is awful." Slowly, she drops the belt and turns to look behind them. Sucking in a breath, she gestures, "It's back. The fog."
Kyrie's eyebrows rise, and she looks behind them as well. She stares for a moment, then just shakes her head. "This place. Weird crap." Then, she looks around them again. "I guess we'll just have to explore this area, this time."
Danielle blinks "I knew it was to good to be true. I remember amber had a section for commoners but this looks like a battle zoon. Unicorn's blood. how do people even...Why has no one seen to.."

Maggie lifts a hand to Danielle's shoulder, the touch light, "Who would have?" Her tone is faintly bitter, "I'm guessing that we are the first new people here in... Well, since whatever happened happened." She bites off whatever might have followed, turning to look around again. Spotting the fountain, she nods that way, "At least there is water here."
Kyrie mms quietly. "Nothing about this looks familiar, either. The rest of you seem to find some things familiar about some part of all this. I just don't." She shrugs, and starts walking, though slowly. It's all being studied carefully.
Deep within the broken buildings, the faint sounds of shuffling rise. Every so often, a haggared face peers from a broken window or around a door. There are people here. Hungry, desperate, furtive. The pack of dogs that Maggie saw slink back and forth, scenting the air. Yet, they do not make their way forward. Not yet, anyway.

Danielle hms "Mother said, it's a matter of pride to be pristine in every way and a testament to one's skill with magic, one's charm, one's poise how a domain in one's purview runs. This is absolutely..
Maggie nods, her gaze streaking after the sounds of people. If she catches sight of any of them, she does not let on, "That presumes that there is someone who can work to keep the place pristine. And if so, that the person in charge cares." The bitterness, the anger, that she has been trying to shove away since arriving, bristles toward the surface. It simmers there a while and she almost gives it voice. After a silent moment, she sighs, "But... That may need to be a discussion for another time." She holds her dagger still, eyes wary and alert. "If we are going to explore, we must be on our guard. And, if we cannot find our way back, we should find a defensible spot to hole up until morning." Gloom and doom, this one.

Kyrie's lips purse. "When we do manage to open the way back up the mountain, we'll have to start setting a watch. The desperate people will come looking for easy pickings." It's not said without sympathy for the wretches, but there's clearly caution. "We can't care for them all." There's a nod then, to Maggie. "Perhaps this area is large enough that it improves further on."
Danielle follows numbly after
Maggie nods, her expression grim, "Well... Let's choose a direction." Her gaze drifts over the square, then turns to the east, then back to the west before looking south. "Choose a direction, ladies."

Kyrie hms quietly, considering their options. Finally, she nods towards the west. "Let's go that way. I see less... of this that way." is her reply.
Maggie turns to Danielle for her opinion, then nods, "West it is, then." Gesturing for the others to lead, she takes up the rear guard position.
Maggie is leaving, heading for Market.


~~~ Market ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unknown ~~~

Dilapidated clapboard stalls edge the road. As the pathways wind into the market proper, these give way to awnings made of threadbare material in faded and frequently patched fabric. Farther still, wares are laid out on bits of wood, cloth or bare earth. Merchants hawking wares can be heard all up and down in a cacophony of tired hopelessness. Beyond the market lurk hovels, shacks and teetering tenements of the residents. An air of hunger bordering on desperation lingers like a miasma over the Market.

~~~ Exits ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lower Amber City and Slums
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kyrie mouths 'Wow'. It's really, really sad. They walk along, taking it all in as they start seeing what passes for stalls here. She glances towards Maggie and Danielle then, and says quietly "I don't think I'll be trading for food here."
Maggie keeps slightly behind the others until they are 'safely' within the market. Her attention remains alert, though. Listening, she nods to Kyrie, "Not... unless we are providing the food rather than taking some away." Though that isn't likely at all. Lowering her voice farther, she nods to one of the stalls selling grilled meat. "Or... paying for it, but giving it back. I don't know how to help." Almost a whisper, "I wish Kerf was here." Then, "Shall we move on?"
Kyrie mms quietly. "I've seen some sad places in my time, but this is... different." she says, her voice still kept low. "This is a dying place, that just hasn't let go yet and faded. I wonder how long the parts of the city have been cut off from each other."

Maggie nods, "Good question. And a good point." Her gaze slides toward the houses. "Let's see if it is better in there." Though, honestly, it could hardly be. "Maybe we can get inspired. There must be some way we can help."
Kyrie nods slowly. "I'm not sure you'll find inspiration here, but we don't exactly have other plans right now." she says, and lets Maggie lead. Her sword is sheathed for now, but her hand rests on the hilt.


~~~ Slums ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Unknown ~~~

Small gardens, devoted mostly to vegetables rather than flowers, take refuge in the shelter of small homes that edge the market. Some of these homes attempt adding a splash of color, though the cloth flags fade quickly to a dull whisper of their hues. In short order these homes give way to tenements that rise three stories to loom over the more affluent homes. The upper floors are accessed via external wooden stairs that have been left unpainted for too many seasons. Grey and rickety, they do not inspire confidence, though people still crowd the upper living spaces. Huddled in the lea of the tenements and extending hesitant fingers farther west, a shanty town has sprung up. These dwellings are made of whatever is near to hand. Cardboard and wood are predominant, though some woven rushes lend hints of fading green to the predominantly grey and dusty brown.

~~~ Exits ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Market
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maggie walks through the market, then slips down an alley or side street into the residential area. Her steps remain slow, her expression grim. Stepping into a wider way, she waits for Danielle and Kyrie to join her. Licking her lips, she takes a few steps farther in, "There is... Well, there might be some hope here. There are gardens. And some look to be doing well." Which is relative. Enough to feed families, not much more. Though not all of the houses have gardens.
Yeah... not a whole lot better. But, better. In spots. Kyrie is very clearly cautious as they walk. "Not well enough to trade, but at least some of them can feed themselves. More or less. I wonder if anyone here can tell us what happened to this place."
Maggie looks around slowly, conscious of window coverings fluttering, of children being called back inside in whispers, of the slinking of the too thin animals here and there. She shrugs, "Maybe. We can try. If we can get anyone to talk to us." Turning heel to toe, she aims for one of the houses. "Worth a try."
Kyrie nods. "If. These are not people happy to see strange faces." she says, though then she smiles. There might be something of her father in that expression. "Fortunately, I do have a way with people."