Chapter 1
Rhys Greene was having the weirdest day of their life, and they weren’t entirely sure if any of it was actually happening or if they were dreaming. Their apartment was supposed to be a welcome sight at the end of a long shift, but instead when they arrived their apartment was filled with people that looked almost, but not quite, like them, and one weird older man. The only open space was a bubble around the man as every version of Rhys seemed to agree that his vibe was off, and would rather push up against the weird strangers than be close to him.
“Are you seeing this too?” Isaac asked. There were times that Rhys was thankful they had a few extra voices in their head, and they felt less crazy and less alone to hear that at least another part of their brain was as confused as themself.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t actually mean it’s real,” Rhys responded.
“If we could get rid of the weird guy, this could make for a fun evening,” Nia said.
He smiled when they arrived, and started chanting something that made the ground shake, and the world around seemed to flicker. Rhys crumpled to the ground covering their ears and closing their eyes, and felt a few others bump into them as there was a screeching noise, and the shaking reached a point where they weren’t sure if their building was going to stay in one piece, and then almost as soon as it started, everything was silent. They could feel wind against their skin, and when they finally dared to open their eyes, they were curled up against a smooth white wall.
They were on a street that was too thin for a car to drive through, and impossibly tall buildings reached up around them, and buildings also hung down like stalactites above them. Looking at it gave Rhys vertigo, so they stuck to trying to figure out their more grounded surroundings. They could hear people talking, shouting, and the hum of machinery all around as if they had been dropped right into a busy street of Los Angeles, but the people that they could see were even stranger than the buildings as there were people who looked almost human, but had green skin. There were people that looked like giant ants walking on four legs, and an octopus that appeared to float down the street.
“I think I’ve finally lost my mind,” Rhys said to themself.
“Well if you have, could you do it somewhere else, I’m trying to run a business here.” The voice seemed to come from a floating ball of light that hung above Rhys’ head. They darted away and started wandering through the narrow streets. Occasionally they would have to duck as a vehicle that looked like a chariot flew just overhead, or some creature flying just above their head.
“Hey, human!” someone shouted, and while looking around, Rhys finally connected the voice to someone who looked like a demon with bright pink skin and ram’s horns on her head. She was wearing a simple light blue dress, and a white apron. “Yeah, you! Why don’t you come sit down for a second, you look like you could use it.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Isaac said.
“Do you have any others?” Nia asked.
Rhys figured the silence in their head was as much approval as they were going to get, and crossed the street to the demon. The demon was standing in the doorway to what had to be a bakery from the smell of yeast and freshly baked bread.
“Take a seat, let me get you something,” the woman said as she pointed towards a row of small tables that could’ve fit in at the outdoor seating area of a small Parisian cafe. She stepped behind the counter, and came back with a flaky bun on a delicate porcelain plate. “You don’t need to say anything if you don’t feel comfortable, but you have to know that I’m curious. Anyway, the dei bun will be on the house this time, and take as much time as you need.”
Rhys didn’t know what to say, as the overwhelming stimulus from around them was starting to catch up, and they couldn’t focus on anything except trying to parse through everything that happened, that they saw or heard or felt. They felt a moment of relief as they floated in the void, and let one of the others handle things for a minute.
Isaac shook his head for a moment. He hated the habit, but couldn’t ever quite break it as he tried to acclimate as quickly as he could to being directly bombarded by the outside world.
“Can I ask you some questions?” he asked, and was thankful that the woman didn’t seem to notice the change in demeanor or think the head shaking was odd. Perhaps it didn’t even count as odd with how strange everything has been.
“Of course darlin,” she said, “but first, you have to tell me what you think about the bun.”
Isaac took a small bite out of the bun, and expected to find something strange and alien inside, but instead the crust was buttery and chewy, and there was a filling of some kind of paste that had a subtle sweetness that he could melt into, with a hint of citrus that provided a tang to prevent the sweetness from getting overwhelming. He took a brief moment to look at the bun which had an orange-red filling inside, before taking another bite and quickly finishing the entire bun.
“That’s not fair, you should’ve saved some for me,” Nia complained.
“That was a religious experience,” Isaac said.
“Hell yeah, that’s definitely going to get me into the book then,” the demon woman jumped up from her chair in excitement.
“The book?”
“The Interdimensional Traveler’s Guide the Shattered Verse. I’m going to get my shop added to the section for Haven, and then things’ll really take off. Actually, I have a copy if you want it. It might be helpful since you’re definitely not from around here.”
“That easy to spot?”
“Don't take it personally, but everyone shows up in Haven looking star struck and gawking at everything. It’s practically a rite of passage. I’m just glad I caught you before you got swindled for everything you’re worth by some grifter.”
“I’m sorry, I just figured I was having some sort of mental breakdown, and I’m not convinced that isn’t true, but where am I? What happened?”
“Surely you knew where you were going at the liminal gate?”
“The what?”
The demon looked at Isaac like he had just said he didn’t know what a train was. “How about this, you explain to me what you’ve experienced and I’ll try to make some sense of it.”
Isaac explained everything he remembered in as much detail as he could, but it felt like his memories were shrouded in fog, and were fading as he was trying to talk about them.
“Please understand that I want to believe you, but what you’re saying just doesn’t make any sense,” the demon said when Isaac finished. “There’s no way to travel between dimensions except through a liminal gate, but maybe there was an accident or something and that’s why it’s so difficult for you to remember.”
“Maybe,” Isaac said, but he knew that that couldn’t have been the case. “So what do I do now?” He didn’t expect a response, but that didn’t stop the demon across from him.
“You could stay here. I wouldn’t be able to pay you much, but if you’re willing to help in the kitchen, I can give you room and board along with your wages until you get it figured out.”
“I don’t know if that’s the best decision for either of us, but I don’t think I have another option,” Isaac said and shook the demon’s offered hand.
“Oh, my name’s Sadie, can I get yours roomie?”
“Rhys Greene.”
“What an odd name,” she said, but didn’t explain further and Isaac was too tired to question her.
The Interdimensional Traveler’s Guide to the Shattered Verse Presents: Haven
Ah Haven, the Jewel of the Shattered Verse, what can I say about it that you don’t already know. Often the first stop for any interdimensional traveler, the stories, news, and fads all have to pass through somewhere and you’ve likely already heard so much about this dimensional city. So instead of just telling you about the same old tourist sites, let me instead draw your attention to some of the spots frequented by the locals of Haven.
My first stop in Haven will always be The Oman. Zyrrick the chef makes the best Dyrenzian cuisine that you could find anywhere, including on Dyrenzia itself. I especially encourage you to try the Flutelli as it combines the best of spice, sweetness, and acid to take you to dimensions of flavor that you wouldn’t believe existed. Zyrrick still won’t share with me the secret of how he gets the noodles to be so perfectly tender, but I’ll let you in on that secret once I get the man to crack.
After you’ve gotten your fill of the local eateries, you may wish to spend an evening at the Starfall Theater in the 9th ward. I saw a mind blowing performance of The Keeper’s Folly there last time I was in town, and they are using magics that I couldn’t even begin to describe. It was like you were right beside Ulmer as he desperately fought to save Neranan.
Finally, I would recommend the Three Tree Hotel downtown if you can book a room as the premier place to rest your head. Their service is clean, quick and friendly, and they will sometimes even look the other way if you find yourself with company that the Keeper’s might not necessarily approve of.
If you are still reading this, you may indulge me in a little bit of history about this wondrous city. Created by the Archmage Yurisa Illatri in 1042 ME in order to provide a refuge for the wizards that were being hunted by the Liberatory Armies. It was used as a base for counter attacks into Orali by those wizards until Illatri’s death in 1048 ME with the destruction of Ward 13 and leading to the intrusion of the Depths. Remember to stay away from the edges of the city so that you don’t fall prey to the strange energies and creatures that call the Depths their home. Haven was set up as the beacon and center of Interdimensional Travel almost four hundred years later during the Age of Unification when the Genesis Engine was invented. I can provide additional information on those devices in the addendum at the back of the guide for anyone who is particularly interested.
As always, safe travels dear wanderers,
T
