01<@Ardweden> [Day: Monday/Tuesday, August 30/31.  Time: Midnight.]
 01<@Ardweden> [Imp awakens in the ornate red and gold throne room that makes up 
the Haven, presently.  Everything looks normal, or as normal as it can be.]
 01<@Ardweden> [Mini Start.]
 06* @Imp hops around and looks throughout the area first and then heads to the 
door taking a deep breath, focusing on the door. "Come on, take me some place 
folks are gathering.."
 01<@Ardweden> [The door doesn't answer.  In fact, it doesn't do anything but 
remain a door.]
 06* @Imp takes another breath and opens the door looking out.
 01<@Ardweden> [Gray mist, as far as he can see.]
 06* @Imp focuses on where he wants to go and slowly heads out into it, praying 
this works, he doesn't want to think of dealing with that... thing
 01<@Ardweden> [Imp steps through the doorway, and the fog clears, revealing a 
clearing in a swamp.  Or a forest.  Or a swampy forest.  It's really hard to 
say, but it's kind of wet and kind of dark, with sprawling trees and vibrantly 
colored mushrooms nearly as tall as the trees are.  Above is the dreamscape sky 
as he's come to know it, only it's filled with hundreds of wispy lights.]
 01<@Ardweden> [Should he care to look back, Imp will discover that the door he 
just stepped through is... gone.  Well, that's great, for sure!]
 06* @Imp looks around more blinking, sure this wasn't what he had in mind....
 01<@Ardweden> [In the far distance, Imp can see the dark shape of a statue?  Or 
building?  No, probably a statue.  A very large statue with wings.  But from 
where he is, he can't make it out.]
 06* @Imp frowns and moves that way.
 01<@Ardweden> [As Imp hops through the squishy mud, probably trying to stick to 
stumps and roots as possible, he hears a small voice above and to his right.  
"Hello?"  Another small, squeakier voice responds, "Hello!" "Not you, silly.  
It!" "Oh, it?  It!"  "Him!" a third voice cries, "I'm sure it's a him!"  "Nuh 
uh, maybe a her."  "No, it!"  That would make four.  "You're it!"  "Hello!" says 
a fifth.]
 06* @Imp stops on a stump looking around. "Hello?"
 01<@Ardweden> ["HELLO!" more than a dozen voices chorus.  Okay, when you hit 
that many, they do sound kind of loud.]
 06* @Imp keeps looking around. "Where are you?"
 01<@Ardweden> ["What do you think it's doing here?" one asks.  "I don't know," 
another answers.  "We're here!" says a third.  "Maybe it's going to eat us.  Are 
you going to eat us?" "Him!" "Her!" "No, him!"]
 06* @Imp looks around more. "Him, and I'm not going to eat you. Where is here? 
I'd like to see you"
 01<@Ardweden> [The lights swirl about, above him as the conversation takes 
place.  Some of them hover closer.  "Here is here!"  "There is there!"  
"Somewhere and elsewhere and wheee!"  "You can see us!  We can see you, so 
you've got to see us!"  One of the lights bop Imp in the nose; he didn't know he 
was ticklish there, but he resists the urge to laugh.  He ends up sneezing, 
sending the light flying away.]
 01<@Ardweden> ["Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!" it calls as it sails into the 
distance.]
 06* @Imp blinks looking around. "Oh! Lights! Hello! Where is here? What is it 
called?"
 01<@Ardweden> ["Oh, a name!" "I like names." "Swampalooza!" "I always liked 
Desert of Despair." "This isn't a desert, silly." "Is so." "Is not." "Is so." 
"Is not." "Stop arguing!  It's not a desert!" "HA.  I win!" ":("  How does 
someone vocalize an emoticon anyway?  "This is where we gather!" "Oh!  Yes!  Are 
you one of us?" "I want him on my team!" "We don't even have any teams!"]
<@Imp> I don't think I'm one of you. I'm new.
 01<@Ardweden> ["Ooooh, new."  "That'd explain why you're big and red and scaly 
and have all those claws." "Please don't eat us.  I don't like being eaten."  
"Yeah, it's not fun." "Not fun at all."]
<@Imp> I don't want to eat you, just trying to figure out what's going on.
 01<@Ardweden> ["We're gathering!" "Yeah, it's lots of fun!  We're gonna play 
tag!"  "You wanna play tag?" "I bet you're good at tag." "Not so good at hiding, 
though." "No, too big.  Way too big." "Would have to shrink him first." "Tiny 
tiny." "He could be like us!" "Yes!  That'd be fun!"]
<@Imp> I got a better reach this way to tag with.
 01<@Ardweden> [There's a collective "AWWWWWWWWWWW" at that.]
<@Imp> I'm looking for a place that might have information. Do you know of any?
 01<@Ardweden> ["We might have information!" "Yeah, we might!" "Maybe!" "Other 
than that, you could go that way?" "Or this way!" "Or maybe that way." "Yeah, 
the statues are there." "You could say hi for us!"]
<@Imp> Why can't you say hi yourself?
 01<@Ardweden> ["We could." "But we're gonna play tag!" "Yeah, tag!"  "Way fun, 
way important!"]
<@Imp> You do that!
 06* @Imp turns and starts to hop towards the statue.
 01<@Ardweden> ["We have a job to do, you know." "Important jobs!" "Super crazy 
important!" "Okay!" "It was fun talking to you!" "Almost as fun as tag!" "You're 
it!" "HEY that wasn't fair!"]
 06* @Imp tries very hard not to say anything about them all being nuts.
 01<@Ardweden> [Imp hops through the now swirling, chaotic mess of little bright 
lights as they tag each other, ducking around the trees and giggling, and heads 
towards the statues.  He tags some of them on the way, and they tag him back, 
and he laughs as the ticklish feeling returns, nearly falling over in the 
swamp.]
 06* @Imp keeps moving for the statues, the stupid things aren't ging to be any 
help.
 01<@Ardweden> [Imp continues through the swamp as it gradually becomes less 
swampy... the trees begin to take over, and flowering plants light his way, 
opening as he passes with the scent of fresh baked bread one time, motor oil the 
second, sawdust and cinnamon the third.  And on and on, until the scents are 
nearly overwhelming, even with his personal stench to 'balance' it out.]
 06* @Imp gags, coughing looking around. "What is this stench?"
 01<@Ardweden> [No answer.  Just flowers, stretching out through the forest.]
 06* @Imp looks to see if he can see the statues still.
 01<@Ardweden> [They're there, ahead.  He knows he's closer - he can feel it - 
but for some reason can't make out any more detail than he did before.]
 06* @Imp doesn't take a deep breath and tries to keep going, holding a hand 
against his nose.
 01<@Ardweden> [Imp moves as fast as he can, and he manages to hold his breath 
for a good, long time - not long enough to get all the way through, but he does 
manage not to gag too terribly.  Eventually, the smells let up, as there are 
fewer and fewer flowers.]
 06* @Imp shudders, and looks for the statues, trying to keep going. He wasn't 
going to be shown up by Tiffany.
 01<@Ardweden> [As the flowers disperse, the area around him becomes ruins... or 
rubble... ancient stuff at first, and then it looks Grecian, or Roman.  Mayan 
and Aztec.  Chinese and Japanese.  Destroyed medieval villages and castles, and 
ruined skyscrapers and thatched villages - he feels like he's passing through 
entire civilizations, somehow.  Empty civilizations.]
 01<@Ardweden> [As there's not animal nor human while he heads towards the 
statues.]
 06* @Imp frowns and starts to hurry, scurrying over rusted iron, destroyed 
thatching, fallen stone arches and wooden pillars.
 01<@Ardweden> [After who knows how long, as Imp certainly doesn't, the ruins 
cease - and for that matter, so does the ground, as before him is a river of 
fire, about twenty feet wide.  Past the licking flames, he can see the statues.  
It's not far now.]
 06* @Imp stares at the fire and looks up, he walks backwards a little ways and 
starts running teleporting midstride as far above as he can and spreading his 
wings.
 01<@Ardweden> [Imp teleports and glides over the fire, easily avoiding the 
flame licks that rise from the river to meet him.  His little clawed feet find 
purchase on the marble on the other side.]
<@Imp> Okay, that was kindof fun.
 01<@Ardweden> [As he landed on a perfectly Imp-sized path of marble.  Not too 
far ahead is columns, all arranged in a circle, almost like Stonehenge, only all 
marble and polished.  In the center... the statues.  Finally.]
 06* @Imp heads that way, straight for the center.
 01<@Ardweden> [As Imp heads that way, he sees others... people, animals, 
sometimes even objects (who knew a shoe could walk on its own?)... also heading 
towards the center.  Each on a path laid out before them.  But before Imp can 
say anything to them - should he even want to - he's there, and they aren't, and 
before him looms three statues of naked, winged men, each different in his 
beauty but similar.]
 06* @Imp actually blushes and looks away. "Er... Hi?"
 01<@Ardweden> [One grinning madly, with his arms outstretched, looking up to 
the sky.  One with a calm smile, his hand stretched downwards as if to offer a 
blessing.  And the third with his arms folded, a stern, but not cruel, gaze 
leveled at Imp should he choose to meet it.]
<@Imp> Do you three talk?
 01<@Ardweden> [The statues don't respond to Imp.  He hears a woman instead: 
"Greetings, Walker," she says, her voice echoing improbably as she steps out 
from the center of the statues.  She's wearing a white robe and gray hooded 
cloak that covers her face quite well.  "They do not."]
 06* @Imp looks up relief on his face. "You do. Wait walker?"
 01<@Ardweden> ["You are a Walker.  Are you not?"]
<@Imp> If that means what I think it does, yes. I'm looking for information. 
Fairly new to this.
 01<@Ardweden> [She doesn't say anything.  But she might be listening?]
<@Imp> What is this place? What is a walker? Who is the warlus? what is going 
on? Gah, I don't even know where to start
 01<@Ardweden> ["You are a Walker," she says calmly.  "One who can walk through 
both the dream and waking worlds."]
 01<@Ardweden> ["This is a temple," she continues, "here since the beginning.  
These are the lords of this realm."  She gestures behind her, to the statues.  
"You may pay your respects."]
 06* @Imp blinks looking over them. "I.. sure. Do I just say some prayer or 
what?"
 01<@Ardweden> ["Do as you please.  But your actions may have consequences."]
 06* @Imp looks over them again, frowning more, not really having anything to 
drop in the tithe bucket. "er.. hrm." He moved till he was in front of them all. 
"I don't know who you three are but.. I give my respects. It's all I got right 
now. Would of grabbed a bread flower if I knew."
 01<@Ardweden> [The woman doesn't laugh.  She's probably listening, though.  As 
are the statues!  ... Maybe.  Imp could swear that the one with the outstretched 
arms seems to think it's hilarious.  But maybe that's because he's already 
laughing.]
 06* @Imp feels so out of his element. "Sure, er... thank you all for fun fire 
glide?"
 01<@Ardweden> [And the stern one is looking sternly down at Imp, like, 'Really?  
Did you just say that?']
 06* @Imp shrugs and turns. "I guess I'm not getting answers here."
 01<@Ardweden> ["Answers," the woman says, her voice still echoing, "Take time.  
You have a measure of will but little patience."]
 06* @Imp looks back at the lady. "Google, microwaves, twitter, Lady NOTHING 
takes times any more."
 01<@Ardweden> [Imp can hear the smile in her voice: "Nothing is a strong word, 
Walker."]
 06* @Imp sighs and shakes his head. "Yeah well I just got nothing in terms of 
answers. I hope the Warlus stops by here soon. I'm heading out."
 01<@Ardweden> ["Very well.  May you find the answers you seek."]
 06* @Imp obviously didn't expect that response, but sighs. He starts to head 
out but something stops him last second and he turns to look back. "Hey at least 
you told me something about the statues." He just seemed frustrated, but he 
didn't know where the woman sat in power and couldn't risk pissing her off too 
much. "Thanks, I guess." And then he'll hope out of the ring.
 01<@Ardweden> ["You are welcome," she replies calmly.]
 01<@Ardweden> [As Imp leaves the ring, his vision is filled with light... and 
Tyler's eyes open to see the morning sun bearing down on him, through his 
bedroom window.]
 01<@Ardweden> [Mini End.]