As Soren, Mina, and Gorland near the docks in their flight, they notice that Elli’s caravan has vanished, thought there are no tracks leading from its prior location.

 

A woman steps out from behind the cargo door, dusting off her hands on her velvet winter gear; ‘Soren, Defay is well aware that we do not wait; if his carrier is not here lets pack up this cargo and move on.’

 

Soren frowns, looking down to the docks. "Caravan's gone, but not naturally. Let's get to that ship. Chances are she's trying to make a quick exit."

 

Gorland nods and lands, quite literally, on the ship.

 

Soren dismounts at last, nodding. "Right. She can't have gone far if she's on here. Mina, I need you to be ready - if she tries to leave again, stop it with one of your own spells. Should be easy for you to do."

 

As Gorland lands upon the ship, the guards and workers look quite startled to say the least; a few guards pull out swords and other various weapons. The woman at the cargo door turns; ‘Is that... a polar bear with wings?’ she blinks a few times and detaches a violin and bow from her belt.

 

<@Soren> "It's a friendly polar bear. Just stay out of its way."

 

<+Gorland> "No. I'm a cricket with horns."

 

Mina nods and readies her Dispel Magic spell "Alright"

 

The woman raises an eyebrow; "And it is on our ship... why? I insist that y-..." the group may notice at almost everyone is staring at the polar bear and Soren looking quite dumbfounded.

 

Gorland 's eyes shift from person to person, following their gaze. "...Is there something in your teeth, Soren?"

 

<@Soren> "Not that I can think of..."

 

The woman turns suddenly, looking into the building; and then looks back to the group over her shoulder. "Ahh... Soren?"

 

<@Soren> "Yes?"

 

A man comes up beside the woman, adjusting his sleeve as he says; ‘Yes, yes. Let’s get moving then.’ When he glances upwards Soren realizes that he is staring at... himself, down to almost every last detail; his hair is a smidgen longer.

 

<+Gorland> "...I think we found those missing moments.."

 

<@Soren> "...huh." Soren mutters blankly, instinctively going for his greatsword. "You know, it's pretty impressive that this is the strangest thing to happen to me in a while."

 

Mina 's eyes widen "Okay...I'm confused now."

 

Soren chuckles; ‘Well now! I didn’t expect to see you here.’ He points a finger towards Soren; ‘Guards! Take that imposture into custody!’

 

<@Soren> "Not going to happen, thanks. You're the fake here."

 

Soren readies himself, stepping forward. "I got your letter, by the way."

 

He places a hand over his stomach and laughs deeply; "How rather incorrect. You are an imposture, whether you know it or not."

 

The woman beside Soren steps forward, almost seeming to ready the bow of her instrument the way you would a short sword.  ‘Step back.’

 

Aidan giggles. Adventurers always wind up in the most interesting situations.

 

Goroh looks out from the dock building at the scene

 

<+Goroh> "Hm. There's two Sorens there."

 

Gorland blinks, suddenly having an interesting thought. "Sir Soren. If there are two of you..might there be two of Lilith?.."

 

<@Soren> "Or what?" he immediately counters, though he goes no further. "I've been looking forward to this chat for quite a while now."

 

The woman smirks; "Or I will play you a song you will wish you never heard." Soren crosses his arms, looking quite bored; "The prospect of chatting with you rather bores me, actually."

 

Soren waves off Mina and Gorland. "We're wasting time - the two of you, go find Lilith." He turns his attention to 'Soren' again. "So what's your deal? Alternate universe? Doppelganger? Evil twin? Mirror of Opposition? Doppelganger?"

 

<@Soren> Still gives us somewhere to look around. Standing around on the ship won't do a lot of good.

 

Mina shakes her head "He's right, common Gorland!

 

Gorland starts backing away, with Mina still on his back, and decides to head below ship.

 

Soren smirks; ‘Have I not made myself clear enough? I am the original; and you are the imposture.’ He grins slyly as he says; ‘Why don’t we settle this matter once and for all? You cut open your leg, and I’ll cut open mine. And we shall see who the man is, and who the construct is.’

 

<@Soren> "I've had a bad enough day so far what with being electrocuted and everything. We check your ship for our friend, you tell me where Cierra is, and we're done here." He lowers his sword only slightly, keeping ready. "No need for violence, long as you hurry it up."

 

Goroh walks out from the dock building, looking between the two Sorens.

 

Soren rolls his eyes, "Fine, check the ship; any cargo your friends is looking for is already on the dock, however." he pauses, "As for Cierra... you can stay away from my wife."

 

Gorland backs below deck, and finds himself bumping into large crates; the cargo hold is almost stuffed though the stacks are arranged into neat aisles; this ship must receive a good amount of business.

 

<+Goroh> "By the way, the box of medical supplies on the dock vanished, Soren the shorter haired, so she's on board."

 

Gorland sniffs for any familiar scent, such as Lilith’s.

 

<+Mina> "Well pick up anything at all?"

 

There is no scent of Lilith in the cargo hold.

 

<@Soren> "I refuse to believe that."

 

<+Gorland> "...Nothing."

 

Soren sighs; ‘I must say we are getting dreadfully behind schedule. Could you speed up the searching?’

 

Gorland starts franticly searching though the cargo hold for any kind of lead.

 

Gorland is unable to find any lead that Lilith has been in the Cargo Hold.

 

Gorland lets out a blood curdling roar.

 

A few guards shift further away from Gorland.

 

Soren remains in place. "I'm not going anywhere until I get an explanation."

 

Gorland storms out onto the deck, stalking right up to the supposed impostor. "Lilith..Elli..whatever you know her as..The woman with cargo for Setello..Where does she usually head from here and how do I get there?"

 

Soren glances to one of the guards; "Pull any cargo from the docks back onto the ship, we will be leaving soon."

 

Mina dismounts Gorland

 

Soren looks to Gorland; "I do not know the carrier who was coming to collect the goods. They were ordered by the Mayor of Setello; Sir Defay. I can only assume the carrier will be returning to him."

 

<+Gorland> "And how do I get to Setello?"

 

Soren shrugs; "I'm not the man to ask."

 

Gorland snarls. "Direct me to who is!"

 

Soren sighs, "Perhaps one of the locals. Does it look like I do land deliveries? No, I am on a boat. I do not wade through lands of snow and frozen death."

 

<+Gorland> "You're irritating me enough to get close to the death part. I am not a happy man. Being quippy with me is not recommended."

 

Mina not liking were this conversation is going silently unhooks her weapon from her belt

 

Goroh is also not liking where this conversation is going.

 

A few of the workers carry on two crates of goods from the docks; "Sir, one of the crates has vanished; as that man said."

 

Soren looks to the workers; "We will have to take the loss with the merchant." he looks back to the woman; "Have them start the engine; if our guests do not disembark - well, they will simply have to come along."

 

<+Gorland> "Oh. By the way...YOU, are most certainly the imposter," Gorland said rather bitterly, before standing on his hind legs. "The Soren that Lilith spoke of would most certainly not be so cold to knowledge of her being in trouble."

 

<@Soren> "I don't care if I have to get another ride back; until you explain your letters, I'm not taking a step."

 

Soren smirks; "Oh yes... the letters. I am glad you received them." he frowns; "The way I see it, being the fraud you are; you have been stealing my life and potential fame right out from under my feet, you are a sham, sir. You have no place of business in this world; it is my duty to undo my father’s handiwork and set my life right; thank you for keeping it warm for me. Now get off my ship before I have this lovely lady remove your head."

 

<@Soren> "Do your worst."

 

Aidan snickers

 

Mina cuts in nearly yelling "Hmph, I was so close to finding what I was looking for before this letter dragged me all the way out here, I demand to know what the meaning of all this is!"

 

The woman grins, "Certainly..."

 

Goroh walks over to Soren the longer haired.

 

Goroh then calmly suckerpunches him in the gut.

 

Soren stumbles back and narrows his eyes; "Eck."

 

The woman moves towards Soren and slices twice with her bow; smiling oddly kindly to him as she does so.

 

She slices past his nice new winter gear and into his shoulder, dealing 15 damage.

 

Soren seems to regain his bearings and quickly draws the sword at his, counter attacking against Goroh.

 

Goroh takes 17 damage from the blade.

 

Goroh winces, but takes the blow.

 

Soren goes for what has worked in the past - he quickly moves towards the other side of 'Soren' to catch him off-guard and swings for his weapon. "You should have picked someone else to imitate." (Sunder attempt. Soren has Improved Sunder, so no AoO. Soren and 'Soren' make opposed attack rolls.)

 

Soren grits his teeth as his blade is knocked from his hand; “Damn you. You are never going to get anywhere with this if you refuse to accept of consider the truth."

 

One of the guards grins at Mina as he advances towards her, taking a swing with his blade.

 

Mina takes eight damage as he tries to chop her arm off.

 

The next guard moves up behide Soren, attempting to aid his master.

 

His blade leaves a nasty gash across Soren's back worth 14 damage.

 

Soren smirks as he watches the guard slice at Soren's back; "Perhaps my men will cut you deep enough for the truth to be known."

 

<@Soren> "Are you kidding? That barely did a thing."

 

Mina reels back from the hit, her right arm throbbing with pain. Mina quickly raises her left arm and focuses on knocking the guard into the water nearby

 

"You won't be saying that for long." he sneers, but it slowly mutates into a grin; "Cierra... is quite a woman."

 

The guard's eyes widen as he is sent flying back into the water. Nothing more is heard from him as his heavy armour pulls him into the depths.

 

A second guard advances towards Mina, but looks very hesitant to attack her and does nothing more this turn.

 

The last guard advances on Goroh, taking a heavy swing with his blade.

 

He misses horribly.

 

Goroh spins around, smashing his fist into the flat of the guard's blade. [Sunder attempt w/ Improved Sunder]

 

Goroh smashes the guard's blade to the ground.

 

The woman trails her original target, taking another two swings at him from the side.

 

The woman tisks as she scrapes her blade across his jawline, dealing ten damage. "Shame." she says, "I was trying to remove that large lump from the side of - oh wait, is that an ear?"

 

Soren spits a bit of blood and smirks. "If that was your goal, you need a bit of practice." He turns his attention instead to 'Soren', putting everything into the next swing of his blade.