Sometime later, a knock sounded against the door of the Death Family Estate. While Charon covered him with her nail guns, Brandon quickly swung wide the door, revealing a man dressed like a hipster trying too hard at a Dickens' Fair: his top hat was a bit too high, his outer coat too boxy and heavy, wearing too many layers of uncomfortable coarse fabric fastened in ways impractical to remove; he'd be sweating in an air conditioned room. His skin was a sickly gray, and he seemed desperately unhealthy and unwholesome.

Charon watched as the newcomer stared at Brandon, seemingly unconcerned by her guns; then she met his gaze as he shifted his scrutiny to her. His eyes gave her the impression he was seeing into her soul, but she could not tell whether this was merely an affectation he put on to intimidate those he met, or if he gained any actual knowledge from seeing her.


“Brandon Death, you've called me here and I've come; you've been a help to me in my travels, I hope to be a help to you in yours.”

BD: “Obed Marsh. Pleasure as always! Come in, take a load off. Obed, here's the thing: some of the past has changed, and we need to know who, what, why, and how. Charon, the lady with the nail guns,”--Charon accepts Obed's slight bow with a nod--“and I could use some help seeing the pattern of what changed.”

Obed squinted his eyes at Brandon. “I can help, but you court the death of your souls, for the Great Ones have shewn already their wishes here, and it is not agreeable to them to be disturbed by others, for all that their plans may have gone astray.” Turning to Charon (and ignoring Brandon's eye roll), Obed began to speak in a near chanting cadence:

“There is knowledge outside of this world, accessible first through dreams. Almost all can live centuries before chancing upon such a dream, but I have traded much to learn a ritual that opens a dream-gate and offers some protection to the traveler. This gourd contains the fermented sap of the Ebene Tree; drink of it, and let your mind slip to the unknown sprawling chaos out of time. Travel often enough, and you will no longer need the sap to begin. But be warned, both of you: the path you walk from the gate is secured by pact with the Great Ones Hra'Gad and Lilith, with the Hordes of the Wicked, and was crafted by the Architect Aeean Hades. Observe what you can, but brazen acts might break the pact. I will not be joining you, for I will not bind my fate to your intent, but I am already unstuck from time, and perhaps you will meet me in your travels on a separate errand of my own choosing.”

And with that, Obed handed Charon a large, sloshing gourd embossed with an odd golden alloy depicting cavorting fish creatures along its outsides. Once she accepted the gourd, Obed bowed to both Brandon and Charon, closed his eyes, and fell out of the world.