Their guide was a warlock of considerable statue, a half orc. Hok had been eager to take the contract as most visitors knew how to get to their respective Home Planes and only needed guidance for the Outer or Elemental Planes. He hailed from Waterdeep, which was also their destination. On the question of the construction sounds he had only this to say: "Ah yes the sounds of the makers. Many of the other guides would tell you fairy tales, wizard. But the truth is, nobody knows anything. If ya ask the lillendi they just get annoyed and piss of. You better stop thinking about it my friend, who- or whatever makes the Staircase, well lets just say some things better stay a mystery."

Only a few landings above the Nowhere Inn, Hok suddenly halted. "Well fuk me sideways, there's one waiting for you. Ya must be a lucky chap." Hok gave him a sympathetic slap on the back and retreated a few steps behind their party. The creature before could be described in a single word, intoxicating. She had an elaborate mask on her face, not subtracting, but highlighting her otherworldly beauty. A myriad of colours were displayed in her eyes as if they were a painting of watercolours. A pair of emerald green wings shimmered on her back and her lower body was that of a serpent, a weave of intricate shapes that formed the scales, mesmerised the onlooker. Also quite distracting was the fact that she wore nothing but a few scant pieces of jewellery, even though her upper parts were all human.

He discretely cast Tongues and made a bow. "Servant of Azuth, the wizard Argentarius greats you."

She smiled and a melodies voice reached his ear as she chuckled. "Thane Argentarius. It always is a pleasure to meet a Thane of Sardior." Argentarius was bit perplexed. "Have we met before?"

"We will meet, or rather you have met one of my sisters." By now he really had no idea what was going on. Hok choose this moment to earn his due as a guide: "The lillendi have a different concept of time. Do not even try to understand them, if she says you met then it was, is and will be true."

The wizards just shook his head and wanted to ask more questions but the lillendi raised her hand.

"Thane follow me, for I have a door that calls for you." Without further elaboration she slid, no glided up the next staircase. Hok just shrugged and gestured for him to follow while taking a step back. "Guides are never permitted." As if that explained everything, he waved and departed in the opposite direction; a bit to fast for Argentarius liking.

His party hastily made after the celestial. As he was about to grab the railing for support when he felt something fleshy, he stopped and slowly raised his hand. An Eye starred back him, seemingly resentful because he had poked it. After blinking, it was gone. "What in the name of Azuth?"

Continuing a few steps up he soon felt his boots stick to the ground, not wanting to take chances he cast Fly, pried his boot lose and slowly ascended further. The stairs were carved in some sort of crystal but beyond that he saw nothing unusual, with irritated him even further. His three knights behind and in front of him, seemed to not notice anything wrong and just hovered along.

Stolen story; please report.

This trait had fortunately been inherited from the helmed horror. Normally he had them walk, it was quit upsetting to see them hover everywhere silently. Finally, he saw the lillendi standing on a small landing in front of a closed door. "Servant of the prince, I shall now take my leave. Please take care of the corruption, so the makers can fix this divide." Before she could turn and leave, Argentarius called out: "Wait, what is your name?" She smiled at that. "Call me Cattariina, Thane. Your gifts are always welcome." One hand outstretched, as she stood there, her gaze held something he could not identify. Argentarius swallowed, pulled a few old paintings from his backpack and handed them over. "How did you know I had gifts?" "You always bare gifts." She winked at him and slid down the same Staircase they came from.

"So where the fuck are we?" His knights and himself started to inspect the unsuspecting looking landing. Just a regular stone floor, celling and door. No stairs leading upwards, only, wait where are the stairs?" Panic rose as he searched, the now closed, stone chamber for any exit safe the door.

"Bhen mor nehel quor’she quor N’ klatha." Something whispered in his ear, he turned to see a floating mouth with rings of teeth just hovering in the air. Before Argentarius could react it disappeared. "Well I guess we have no choice, Arminius, search the door for hints." Sweat appeared on his forehead as his started to look around more franticly. A loud blast from the door got his attention, Arminius had broken the door with his axe and a cloud of black gas covered him.

Argentarius cast a quick Control Winds spell and cleared the way. "Lets move on." He could not clearly make out the other side, it all seamed blurry. After walking a few steps his head grew dizzy as he saw shapes and colours that did not make sense. He felt, smelled, heard and imagined things that should not exist. Something bit his finger, he looked down and saw a little insectoid injecting a vile liquid. He cast a quick Cantrip and killed it. Yet shortly after, he swayed and was caught by Arthur.

"By Sardior, what is a human doing here?" The voice only vaguely reached his ears as a woman approached them from the door. Argentarius felt himself being separated from his knight and falling forward. A while late later he regained conciseness and tried to lift his heavy eyebrows. He looked straight into two burning purple eyes. The woman had flowing black hair that seemed to drift around her as if she were under water. Multiple amethysts hovered above her head, almost like a crown. She was wrapped in a white cloak that resembled a lab coat from earth.

"Your condition will be stable for a few more minutes." He looked down at his hand, dark veins snaked up, beginning from where he had been bitten. A look behind the woman, still holding him in hear arms, gave the view of his knights all locked inside a Forcecage spell. They hammered at their magical prison, seemingly displeased. Further an opaque barrier enclosed all present and blocked the sight towards the outside world. "Do not worry, I created something of a mix between Leomund's Tiny Hut and Forcecage. Nothing physical, ethereal or extra-dimensional can pass through. We hide on a small point in a single layer, they can't see us here." Argentarius looked up again and asked a question to which he really did not want to hear the answer too. "Where are we?"

The woman smiled, cupped his cheek, and whispered in his ear: "The Far Realm."