The Bubble

The Bubble

                The twelth grand expedition of the city state of Gemhold set off with great fanfare. The ceremonial marching band walked alongside them, playing a tune so grand and imperial it felt like the expedition had already succeeded. As they boarded their three ships (it was quite a large expedition) the Grand Mayor himself shook hands with the master of the expedition and waved farewell.

                They sailed east, across the entrance to the Aberrant Maw and along the coast until they reached a cove that formed a natural port. Leaving the ships manned with a skeleton crew, the expedition began travelling across the land towards their intended destination - the 'Bubble'.

                One of the largest strange phenomena left over from the 'portal era', the Bubble was a seemingly magical barrier with a diameter of roughly two hundred kilometres. It was also said to be perfectly circular - the edge had been traced by previous explorers, and if not perfect it was certainly close. Above it slowly curved inwards, and according to calculations by a clever scholar (with the help of a winged one flying high above) it seemingly had a height of roughly one hundred kilometres, curving much the same as it did along the ground. It was, seemingly, a bubble.

                While a strange phenomenon on its own, the Bubble is skirted by another. The 'Drained Lands' surround it, and seem to extend outwards from it in a similarly circular fashion. Being within this region causes lethargy and tiredness in humans, and very little life of any kind is present. Closer to the bubble the effect is stronger, but not by much. It tapers off quickly around a hundred kilometres away from the bubble. Many have theorised that the draining is somehow powering the bubble's existence.

                The expedition consisted of some of the greatest minds Gemhold had to offer. Great scholars, their lives dedicated to the study of all forms of knowledge. Many knew much of magic in its many forms - what if they could harness the power of the Bubble? Protect their city, their outposts, more? The possibilities seemed endless.

                There were two main goals for the expedition. Firstly, they were to dig down beneath the Bubble to ascertain whether it curved similarly below the ground. Secondly, they were to attempt to penetrate the Bubble using a variety of mechanical and magical means. Amongst the party were several sigil mages, others with innate talents (including some Psionese) and even a boring device brought all the way from Mechanis.

                One week into their travel the expedition reached the edge of the Drained Lands. None had noticed the exact moment they crossed into them, but all soon knew they had. One day, everyone was looking forwards to reaching the Bubble; the next was muted, quiet. Even the mostly lively of the expeditionaries seemed muted and ever-tired.

                It took the expedition nearly another week to reach the Bubble's northern edge, even though they travelled merely a third of the distance. Their equipment slowed them down greatly as they travelled the lifeless lands, and the draining forced them to rest more often than the norm. Some even considered giving up, but seeing the Bubble appear on the horizon gave them the surge of confidence they needed to make it there. A base camp was set up against the bubble itself, and plans of attack laid out.

                They spent three weeks poking, prodding, and digging around the Bubble. None of their attempts to breach it succeeded - weapons were useless, sigil magic had no effect, fire would not catch, and even the boring machine from Mechanis proved unable to pierce the barrier. The Psion gave the only intriguing report. Her power could not damage the barrier, but her ability to perceive was not limited by it.

                On the other side of the barrier was... Dead, drained land, just as lay on the side the expedition was on. The Psion had a theory that she was actually sensing the far side of the bubble, rather than its inside; but her findings gave some credence to the 'dead inside' theory that was held by some scholars. One of the scholars in the party, however, was keen to point out that the drained region might only extend as far as it did out here - leaving a one hundred kilometre diameter region inside undrained.

                The excavation to examine the Bubble's underside proved quite fruitful. After excavating a depth of roughly twenty metres (using the Mekanis boring machine to speed up their efforts) measurements indicated that the bubble was indeed curving inwards at exactly the expected rate. Further excavation confirmed the measurements; the expedition drank merrily that evening, invigorated even in the Drained Lands.

                One final week was spent attempting to break through the barrier at different locations, repeating prior experiments just in case persistence would pay off. The same results were produced, and the expedition was concluded. They packed themselves up and set off for the cove they had anchored their vessels within.

                All felt the moment they left the drained lands. It was as if, all of a sudden, everything was right. Their movements no longer felt like they were swimming through mud. The day was bright and they were alive! One of the more artistically inclined expedition members even wrote a poem inspired by the feeling. The rest of the journey to the boats passed in a blur for them all - time spent feeling strangely joyous, free from the drain.

                Again aboard their ships, they west to their home. The city state greeted them with little initial fanfare (none knew exactly when they would arrive), but a great parade was held some time later. Their achievements were heralded as being of the greatest scientific import, and only a few cynics scoffed at the pointlessness of it all. Another expedition was charted for two years time, and funds poured upon the expeditionaries’ other works.

                Before the next expedition, however, a traveller came through their lands. "Don't poke the bubble," she said. "Seriously."

                The city wisely headed the words of the great hero. There were other means of acquiring glory.