[ycleption]

Black Box

Yesterday, while discussing a number of matters with the renowned Ozymandias, Canius asked about how one might expect to be greeted by a lord of the astral plane. Apparently, some wizard whose master was said lord, was seeking a small group to perform some task. Intrigued, I joined with the group who set out to Allindor to meet this wizard.
There was some confusion about exactly where we were supposed to meet, but we made our way to Greywatch Tower, where the wizard made a . . . flamboyant entrance. He explained to us our task: his mentor created a small black box which we were to retrieve. Apparently this mentor went insane around the time he created this box, and the wizard was forced to kill him. What properties this box has, and whether it caused his insanity, or was mere coincidence is unknown. The box is sequestered in somewhere, "a fortress of madness" protected by arcane powers, and we were to be teleported in.
Although the arcane details eluded me, he seemed to take great precautions to ensure our safety, preparing a mystic circle, giving us some sort of stone which helped him scry on us, and giving Malor a wand, which could be activated to alert the wizard that we needed to be brought back.
We stood on specific points of the circle, and the next thing I knew, we were standing in a doorless and windowless room filled with food, and people partying - a veritable celebration of excess. I asked a man where we were, and he explained we were in the plane of gluttony. Although I am no expert on planar matters, I immediately doubted the existence of such a place. It soon became obvious that the denizens of this place would be no help in escaping, as they were too focused on their hedonistic pursuits. Some of the group's attention was drawn to a mirror, made of strange material, in the corner of the room. After some examination, the more brutish members of the group (such as Steel) decided to use the direct approach, and smashed through the surface.
A "void," as Malor termed it, opened, and despite our best efforts, we were sucked inside. We were all disembodied, deprived of most of our senses, save hearing, I was aware of the others (perhaps our ki still flowed: must meditate on that). After much disagreement about what we should focus on, we realized that simply walking, ignoring the fact that we didn't have bodies, walked to an exit, a door, and found ourselves in a dungeon.
We met a dishevelled man, who appeared to have lost his mind, (perhaps why the wizard called this a fortress of madness), who raved about how there was no escape, and zombies would eat our brains. Indeed, we were set upon by foul undead things. After defeating them, we found a chest with a key and charred mace. Somehow in the confusion of battle, the poor lunatic we found disappeared, to where I don't know. Through dint of arms, we broke through a wall, and found another chest, which was unlocked by the key we found. Inside the chest, were four gemstones, each of which presumably corresponded to a colored light in the room, and an inscription, "Unlike to like or like to like. Do opposites attract your or does that which you know hold your appeal?". After discussion, we agreed that the gemstones and lights corresponded to the four elements, and hoping to gain new knowledge (although, in hindsight, I realize that the inscription is not really speaking of gaining knowledge), we placed them in what we hoped were opposing containers. I do not know where we made an error, but first a group of air, then water elementals appeared and attacked us. We were able to beat back the first group without too much difficulty, but while battling the elementals of water, one came at me with incredible force, and I felt water entering my lungs.... the next thing I knew we were back by Greywatch Tower, summoned back by the wizard who sent us. I do not know how long it was before I was revived, but given their discussion, I do not think it was long.
We are meeting again in a month to go back. I will make sure to write down what transpires then.