Landing with a thud, Vardinn peers into a strange and dimly lit room. His eyes adjusting to the darkness, Vardinn calls out.

“Hello? I’m very sorry to intrude but I was hoping you could answer some questions I have. If you don’t mind, of course.”

“Oh! A visitor! It has been ages since I’ve seen someone new. Welcome to the Wanderers Castle! My name is Porter and what may I call our newest visitor?” Porter exclaims with the gusto of someone who clearly hasn't spoken to anyone in quite some time.

As Vardinns eyes finally adjust to the dimly lit room, he is able to make out the face to which the voice originates. 

Porter stands at a mere four foot three inches tall. A face covered in white brown and golden fur. Dressed in a fine but worn scholarly suit, modified with many extra pockets all full to the brim with different tools and maybe a snack or two. 

‘A demi-ferret by the looks of the fur and the long torso.’ Vardinn observes but chooses to keep to himself.

“Ah yes! My apologies, my name is Loc Vardinn but everyone just calls me Vardinn.” Vardinn says as he extends his hand.

Gripping with the vigor of a warm welcome, Porter returns the gesture. “Now then! You said you have questions? I’ll help as best as I can. I’m not ‘The Wanderer’ but I consider myself quite the avid scholar.” he says as he releases Vardinns hand.

“That’s the second time you’ve said that name. Is ‘The Wanderer’ the master of this castle?"

“Ah yes! He is the master of the castle and The Unknown I suppose as well but try telling that to the people out there.  That is him right there.” Porter says as he points to a statue of a well dressed man made of stone, sitting upon a throne.

“Oh my! Apologies once again. I did not know the Tsuin Gate would place me inside your, I’m assuming, throne room. Are you the source of The Unknown? The gate told me I would find it here.” Vardinn addresses the man on the throne.

While looking quite confused, Porter asks, “what are you doing?"

“You said he is the master of this place so i wish to address him directly.”

“That’s great and all but that’s a statue. The real Wanderer is elsewhere.”

“Ah. in my defense, I’ve seen weirder things in The Unknown, than a living statue.”

“Fair. Anyway, I can try to explain some of what you are asking.” Porter says as he pulls Vardinn to the center of the room. He points up and says, “you see that weird circular device up there. Looks like a golden ball with floating rings surrounding it?”

“Yeah? Kinda looks like a planet with rings of asteroids around it.” Vardinns says as he marvels at what looks so cosmic but fits in a relatively small room.

Porter continues, “That is what caused the Unknown to grow so big.”

“Grow?! Oh! That would explain the inconsistencies with the earlier stories of the Unknown. It was said that it used to be really small, a fraction of what it is now.”

“Yeah well, it wasn’t supposed to Be, at all. This machine was a sort of cosmic road way. As long as you had it, you could go anywhere. Other worlds, dimensions, universes, all in the palm of your hands. That was until The Wanderer was betrayed by three of his closest residents.”

Porter goes on to tell Vardinn, “He visited every world he could and sometimes he would pick up a friend or two along the way. They were given a home and a job in the castle, something to occupy them from day to day. Until one day it wasn’t enough. The head advisor Zero One, a machine man, along with Inferno and Tooth, A Ruined one or i believe you call them Fire Fae and a Great White Shark but cursed by the Sunken, not a man nor fish.”

“His name was Tooth? Was it because he’s a shark man?”

“You would think so but no. He was The Wanderers head guard and whenever someone slighted him he would punch them so hard the persons’ tooth would come out. Then he would collect them. He made a necklace.” Porter says as he shudders.

“That is unsettling indeed.”

“You have no idea. So! Those three confronted The Wanderer. Now, I wasn’t in the room for this part but I was able to see what happened thanks to my all seeing eye.” Porter says as he points to his left eye.

Now that he says it, Vardinn sees that Porters’ left eye has a Golden look to it, almost like it was carved from pure gold.

“They told him that they were sick of serving him and that they thought they deserve a place of their own. A kingdom to rule. The Wanderer just laughed from his throne. He said” Porter readjusts himself to stand as confident as he can.

 “I have met many kings and visited many kingdoms and you three would be poor rulers. I pity anyone who would fall for your lies.” Porter says in his best attempt at The Wanderers voice.

“Hehe, anyway, they became enraged at his words and said that if he wont help then they’ll help themselves. They surrounded the device, each taking hold of a part that looked as if it could be pulled out and tore it from its home. There was a blinding flash of light and when I was able to see again, they were gone and statues were in their place. I’ve since removed their statues but I’ve left The Wanderers, as you saw. Shortly after that, the Unknown began to spread.” Porter says as he gestures toward the throne and the window.

“How do you know that that statue isn’t the Wanderer himself.” Vardinns says as he examines the statues’ features.

“I’m sure. I’ve run a million and a half tests. It’s just a statue. Biggest clue is that I found the other three, scattered and alive, just moments after it happened. Ran off with their spoils.” Porter says with a spit of venom and disdain. “That’s about all I know about it. He didn’t say much about the machine beyond how it works so I can run maintenance on it from time to time.”

“Thank you for telling me. It’s a shame that I couldn’t speak to him. I’d give anything to learn what he knew.”

“Anything?” Porter says with a smirk.