<div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Status</div><div class="spoiler_body">Skirt &amp; outfit generally damaged.  AC 18  CON -1 (now 12).   HP 83 of 83<br/>Spells remaining: 7 of 7 1st, 4 of 4 2nd, 1 of 1 from bonded object<br/>Ammunition remaining: 22 common arrows (+36 more in pack), 15 silvered, 20 cold iron, 3 Tangleshot</div></div><br/>Sabrith/Sabrina was certainly the right sort for EHO, clearly she fully enjoyed its various unique pleasures - or at least, did so before they became more compulsory.  Rayne extended a hand.  "It's good to know you, Sabrina, and I'm Rae-lynne.   Though if you don't mind, I'll stick to 'Sabrith' most of the time, it's just... I like to sink into a game.  Usually... and reversibly!  This is taking it a bit far..."  a rueful smile, and again she felt a little gnawing worry about how she was getting along "in RL"... but somehow that wasn't as worrying as it might be.  And of course, other people would notice the "disappearances", seek out their friends, and get everyone out of this trap before too long.  But with time compression as it was, they couldn't just sit and wait.<br/><br/>It had only been a couple of days since Melangwi Outpost had been attacked, and it's not as if she ever noticed hordes of NPCs fixing up the place, so it must be that safe areas, at least, simply restored themselves after some delay... just like before the Change.  That was a good thing.<br/><br/>Sabrina's comments on NPCs seemed a bit silly, though now that she'd planted the idea, Rae-lynne had to concede that it was a little creepy, how their lives were programmed and they only responded to the right triggers, initiating a transaction or whatever.  "I"ve never really thought about them that way before, but... I hardly think there's any reason to fear them.  The poor things are just stuck in their simple routines."  She waved a hand in front of a passing "filler" NPC.  "But yeah, PCs are more interesting of course.  Though I'm not so sure I'd prefer monsters!  At least, not so long as things are messed up like they are."  She shrugged, unconcerned, then laughed.  "Maybe your fear of getting jumped when alone with them comes from the company you keep... I mean, kept.  Not from me!"  She laughed again, then rubbed her posterior, for show.  "If there's anyone that should worry about unprovoked attacks from their neighbours..." she nudged the sticking-close catgirl, then got down to the business of shopping.  At least these soul-less merchants were efficient and easy to deal with.<br/><br/>Flying was a great way to get a feel for the land - a sense of direction and position that might be more important now, with the portals dead.  The half-elf kept her vision sweeping the land, putting a name to the sights and noting the distances, the obstructions... she remembered what she'd heard about the mountains, and for a moment thought they could fly over them now - but that was doubly wrong.  From what she'd heard, the players' mounts hadn't even gotten to the peaks, and even if they could, surely the wall was infinitely high, a simple, perfect barrier between areas.  This land was spectacular, gorgeous, but if there was no need to render some areas, surely the world would be artificially limited to keep people in the "interesting" places.<br/><br/>Port Lannis, too, was given a new perspective from the air - its river setting, the bridges, this was a great opportunity.  Rayne liked the city, nominally her home city in that this was where she had first spawned, although she had spent most of her time out and about, just hitting the main shops and haunts of the city.  The temperature suited her - and it was remarkable that this mattered in an online game, but she definitely found it comfortable.  So she was particularly appalled to see how devastated the city was, as they approached and tried to pick out landmarks.  What little motion visible in the city was monstrous, and she couldn't imagine what had done such damage to the outer walls to allow them in... thankfully the fort itself was intact, and alertly guarded, judging by the flare.<br/><br/>Seeing the waving figure, Rayne urged Dixon in that direction, enjoying the smooth, banking curve that resulted.  As soon as the griffons' paws were on the parapet Rayne leapt free, and rushed to meet her friend, returning the hug just as enthusiastically.  "Teagan!  It's so good to see you... thank for those Sendings, it really helped to know I had you to rely on, and a home to come back to, of sorts... though what a mess, Starstrike... I can't believe the city's still overrun.  When you said there was an "event", I thought it'd be some sort of temporary thing."  She listened to her friend's report, shaking her head at the enormity of it.   If so many players were captured... and if, then, those players hadn't respawned here, that suggested they were still alive somewhere... Rayne shivered at the meaning of that.  "Oh, sorry, right... Starstrike, this is Sabrith, we met when we were both trying to hatch our new mounts.  Everyone she was with got kicked from the game when the Change happened, it seems."<br/><br/>"I can't imagine why the monsters would want the NPCs too, though I suppose there's no getting them back until we clear the city again... that's the goal, right?  Somehow?"  Certainly Rayne was itching to fly out and put some arrows into the nearest monsters.  "And as to those players who fought for the mobs... I wonder... you said my other companions made it here already.  Did they explain what we'd learned about the collars?"<br/><br/>Just 24 players in the fort, that didn't sound like much of an army, but on the other hand, that was a big group of PCs.  They could accomplish something.  "You said something in the last Sending, about perhaps re-activating the portals... oh!"  She turned to meet Moonshadow's charge, holding the little monk in the air and squeezing her gratefully.  "Moonshadow!  Ledude!  Grogza!  It's so good to see you!  After that alligator got me, I was thrown back to Melangwi Outpost, and had to find another way to get here.  This is Sabrith... and appearances aside, I think she has something in common with you, Grogza.  She swings her axe like a... lion, I guess."  Letting Moonshadow go, Rayne brushed her cheek tenderly, then looked over the happy group... which apparently comprised 25% of the known PCs free in Port Lannis.<br/><br/>"I barely dare ask, but... do we know anything about what's happened elsewhere?  Are other cities in the same boat, with the Change, and... even the attack?"<br/>