The party were no strangers to any of the big cities in Barisia. Most of the people in the Shadowfell can't afford the party's usual rates, but the ultra-wealthy were far, far richer than even the richest royalty in the Material Planes, and the wealthiest of the wealthy were often found in Brancorel, the economic capital of Barisia and largest city in the entire mortal world. It was only natural, then, that they came here for work semi-frequently.

It was less ordinary for them to take a job that involved heading out into the Greater Paucal Zone with a team of professional xeronauts, but they'd done rescue missions before, so it wasn't completely uncharted territory.

Sandy and Ounu getting a weird feeling about three quarters of the way to the destination was again less ordinary, but still not unheard of, and not enough for them turn tail and not only not get paid but potentially burn contacts.

The destination turned out to be a massive pillar of shimmering lights and sand falling upwards, into a bright hole in the sky overhead was definitely unique, though.

By the time they'd made sense of what they were seeing, the sandships were already getting drawn in by the anomaly's strange gravity, the sand flowing underneath their treads. Fortunately, Sandy and Ounu being suspicious to start with meant they were prepared, already half-transformed. They quickly gathered up her and Wrinkle in their arms as the sandships were lifted into the sky. She could feel them extend their aura around the the party just as brightness swallowed her vision.

She couldn't tell what happened next. All she new was that she still felt Sandy and Ounu's dream-flesh wrapped around her, and Wrinkle just next to her. She doesn't know how much time passed, or if time was passing at all. It was all just empty, nothing, nowhere.

Then, suddenly, instead of nowhere, they were somewhere.