This is a unique form of security, but you're no weak willed fool. You begin to try to disbelieve your surroundings and try to move.

Seeing as you're in the air, it's almost like you're swimming. It's all pretty surreal and you're expecting this illusion to end.

"FOOL! IF YOU WANT THE SACRED TREASURES OF GALPATIS SO BAD THEN EXPERIENCE ITS TRUE GLORY!" The voice booms and suddenly you're falling towards the city!

The shock causes you to panic because now this doesn't feel like an illusion. You immediately drop the crown believing that it might correct things, but all that happens is the crown starts falling to the ground too.

At first you think you're going to die, but then you notice that you're falling not just towards the city, but you're over an area which looks to have some large trees. With a little luck, MAYBE you can slow your descent before hitting the ground.

Shifting your weight slightly, you brace for painful impact of attempting to hit every branch on the way down.

When you're within reach of the top of the tree, you desperately start grabbing at extended branches just within reach. You unsurprisingly break several of them trying to hang on, along with ripping your hands up pretty good. You're very lucky you don't get impaled and eventually you hit the ground bruising most of your body. You curse when you notice your pistol has broken into two pieces.

However, you're still alive. Though in your dazed state, you realize that your "arrival" didn't go unnoticed with several strangely dressed onlookers pointing at you. A couple of them even shout over at you.

You sit up and using the base of the tree you stand yourself up. You're in a lot of pain right now, and it's at this moment that you realize you can't understand what any of these gawkers are saying to each other or you. Some of the words sound similar to ones you know, but it's almost like they're all speaking a different language.

You at first wonder if you hit the ground so hard that it damaged your head so you can't understand what people are saying anymore, but given where you are and how everyone is dressed, you've got a bad feeling that you're a LONG way from Holgard anymore.

And for all you know this could still all be some elaborate illusion.

In any case, you're drawing a crowd and you've had enough experience to know that's never a good thing. You quickly make your escape away from the crowd, especially when you hear more shouting coming towards your position.

You don't know where the hell you are, but you're guessing it must be a park of some sort inside the city. You need to find a secluded place and get your bearings.

As you move as quickly as you can with a twisted ankle and sore feet, you spy out the corner of your eye, the crown laying in the grass by some bushes. Seeing as this is what got you into this in the first place, you figure you might as well retrieve it.

No sooner have you picked it up again, you hear the voice again.

"STILL ALIVE THIEF? YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU LOOK."
"End this illusion…whatever you are!" you sputter.
"THIS IS NO ILLUSION. WHAT YOU SEE IS VERY REAL. JUST LIKE YOUR PAIN. YOU WANTED A GREAT TREASURE OF OLD GALPATIS. THERE IS NO GREATER TREASURE THAN LIVING DURING THE APEX OF ITS GLORY. TIS MORE THAN A SCOUNDREL LIKE YOU DESERVES!"
"Wait. You're…you're saying I'm actually here? I traveled back in fucking time?! Bullshit, this has to be an illusion!"
"DISBELIEVE AT YOUR OWN PERIL, BUT THERE ARE NO LIES AND THERE IS NO RETURN. YOU LOST THAT OPTION WHEN YOU STUCK WITH YOUR GREED. YOUR LIFE OF GREED HAS ALREADY COST YOU DEARLY. HOWEVER, YOU HAVE THE CHANCE AT A NEW LIFE IF YOU LET GO. CONTINUE ON YOUR PATH AND YOU WILL MOST CERTAINLY BE DOOMED."

This is a lot to take in. You truly do not know what to make of all this. If this crown, or voice, or whatever is telling the truth, you are in deeper shit than you could have ever imagined.

You're stuck not just in an unknown city or even a foreign land, you're in a whole other time period!

You've got to think. Of course, while you're thinking about how you're going to survive in this new situation, you still might need a lot of coin to make it a little easier.

You look at the crown.

You discard it

The crown's been nothing but trouble and you're likely just going to suffer more by keeping the damn thing. Not to mention you don't really want to put up with its scolding advice again.

Throwing the crown into the bushes you limp away and eventually find your way out of the park. (Or what you assume was a park anyway)

You walk down a street catching a lot of glances. Most of the inhabitants of this city are human (Though you're seeing a couple of races that you've never even seen before) so you're not standing out so much on that aspect, but the way you're dressed is definitely cause for intrigue.

Unfortunately for you, you're so intriguing that when several military looking men come running in your direction they immediately begin shouting at you in a language that you still can't understand.

You aren't really in any condition to run and there are enough of them that you don't think you could fight them all. You don't even have the advantage of your pistol any longer.

Having no other choice, you attempt to play it dumb and make gestures that you don't understand them. It isn't really a plan; so much as it's the lack of one since you really can't understand them. Though eventually when they get exasperated enough, you understand them all too well.

One of the soldiers grabs you while another begins grabbing your belongings such as your weapons and your pack. They dump everything out and then after a few words to each other, one of them points in a different direction and they all leave. Whatever it is they were looking for you didn't have, though you get the very real impression that it was a good idea to leave that crown behind after all.

Of course your situation is still pretty damn dire. You're stuck in the past and unless you get access to some really powerful magic, you're going to be living the rest of your life here no matter what else you achieve.

You're also at a disadvantage of not knowing the language or even your general location let alone how things work around here. The best you have to go on is a few old stories your sister told you and that's going to have to be enough for now

The voice in the crown told you that you'd have to give up your roguish ways and start a new life, but that's really not going to be possible even if you wanted to. Right now you can see that you're going to have to steal to survive. Possibly even the basics like new clothes because you are really sticking out with what you're currently wearing.

Once you get that down, then maybe you can figure out a way to get back to your own time.

You time passes...

Year 21

"Oh come on Saldinius you can't do better than that?" you say.
"Sorry, but times are hard right now, that's the best I can offer!" Saldinius replies making a shrugging motion.
"Bah, fine. You're lucky I got more important shit to do."

You take your coin from Saldinius and make your way back to your humble room back at an inn. (Some things never change)

The Galpatis Empire might be going through a "Golden Age" but from what you can tell life is pretty much the same here as it was in your time. The poor bastards are struggling to survive, the rich bastards are sitting on their fat asses reaping all the benefits and everyone in between is just trying to make their own way to be a rich bastard and avoid becoming one of the poor bastards.

Still, you suppose you could have wound up in a worse city when you got stuck here. Galapolis is the shining jewel and seat of the Empire and it's easily five times the size of Holgard ever was. There is no shortage of opportunity for a rogue like yourself here. Crime doesn't change too much after all and if anything you're probably a little more skilled at it than most.

That first year was really hard though. You sometimes didn't know if you were going to make it or not. It wasn't really the survival aspect, but more the mental aspect. True you didn't exactly have a "good life" in your own time, but you still had ties.

Many nights you thought about your family and how you'd possibly never see them again. You even cried on more than one occasion. Maybe you left on bad terms, but probably in the back of you mind somewhere you thought that maybe you'd reconcile somehow with your mom and dad.

Of course there was your sister as well, though you probably thought about her more since you used some of the knowledge from her stories to help you through this.

You found the inner strength to carry on by learning the language, the surroundings and everything else you could. It's quite the accomplishment really. Unfortunately the only thing you haven't learned is how to get back home.

You haven't lost hope on that dream though. Magic seems to be more common, or rather more impressive from what you've seen of it. The city of Galpatolis is protected by a giant invisible shield for example and when a dragon attacked (You nearly shit your pants when you saw one of those for the first time especially since it was much larger than the stories you heard) the beast couldn't even penetrate the defenses and its breath attack was reflected back. Eventually it was brought down by more magical defenses that disintegrated it completely.

If the magic here has that power, then surely there might be a way back home with it. The main problem is magic seems to be highly restricted to the upper class. Like nobles and such. It isn't even like you've ever found any practicing hedge wizards or witches. Those types apparently get rounded up fairly quickly or they probably live far away from the Empire, which is pretty damn large. (As far as you can tell you're currently located where the Delantium Kingdom would be located and Galpatis Empire stretches much more than that.)

There doesn't even seem to be any "divine magic" either or religion as you know it anyway. The citizens of the Empire all seem to worship the current Emperor as a "living god." (The body just being a vessel for him until he discards it for a new one)

Deities in any other sense seem to be fringe beliefs at best or considered to be reserved for uncivilized barbarians that live outside the empire.

In any case, you've asked around and done as much research as you can on the matter and there is one place in the Empire which has slightly more relaxed rules on magic and that's the town of Arcanius. Though it's not so much of a town as it is a giant magic testing area. There is where all the less disciplined, unwanted bastard children of nobles who have minor abilities or just downright anti-social wizards go to practice their skills without as much supervision though apparently there is still a powerful warden that oversees everything.

The funny thing is, it isn't restricted to go there, but there is little reason for the average non-magical person to do so. For one thing it's a very long journey and not in the most hospitable place of the Empire (Close to the Cloudpeake Mountains) Second, it isn't like the average Empire citizen wants to hang around a bunch of unhinged miscreant magic types. Though for you, it's probably your only possible chance at getting back home.

In any event, you've raised enough coin and made the right shady connections to gain rare passage there. The use of carriages is a lot more exclusive during this time, let alone using them to travel to another city. However seeing as you're heading to a town not many want to go to anyway, your obvious lack of nobility isn't as much of an issue. Indeed you'll probably be assumed to be another bastard.

The ride leaves tomorrow and you need to be on it so you need to get your rest. You spend the rest of the day and night packing everything you plan on taking, because if all goes to plan, you won't be coming back.

You head to where the carriages are getting ready to leave and with a few extra bribes, bullshit explanations, and general apathy of the soldiers, you're waved into one of the carriages heading to Arcanius.

It's going to be a several day journey from what you know so you're glad when you find that you have a carriage all to yourself. You'll be able to stretch out.

Eventually there is some shouting heard outside, along with the crack of several whips. Before you know it you're on your way.

You never were much of a reader before, but seeing how long this trip is going to be, you figured it would be a good idea to take some literature with you along the way. If you do manage to get back, you might even be able to sell this stuff for a hefty profit. Galpatis items would no doubt go for a lot. (And you've collected a few other small items with this in mind)

As you spend a few days reading some books (and improve your basic understanding of the Empire's language in general) your thoughts start to wander a bit.

What if you've changed the future just by being here?

You've never pondered this before, but maybe it's due to reading too much philosophy during the trip, but what if you've changed things?

You can't imagine that you've changed that much since you've surprisingly haven't even killed anyone since being here. You've stolen a lot of things, but is any of that really going to make a difference in the long run?

You don't know.

What if you go back and there is nothing to go back to? Or more specifically what if you made changes here to the point that you don't exist?

"Oh shit." You mutter as you ponder this new possibility.

At first you were concerned that you might not be able to get back home. Now you're concerned that maybe you shouldn't go back home!

You go back and forth on this many times.

Staying here has always been something you thought might be inevitable anyway so would it really matter?

You get the impression that if you stayed here, you could probably carve out a future for yourself. You think with time and effort you could rise to be greater than your current status in the criminal world. Hell, you probably could get your own organization started.

For all you know you're the founder of the Ebony Claw Syndicate.

Now you start to wonder if you were MEANT to be here.

"What the hell am I thinking? I need to go back! I can't fucking stay here…can I?" you say to yourself.

In any case your struggles with metaphysical matters soon turn into very real struggles because your carriage (along with the rest) are suddenly attacked!

You hear shouting and the galloping of several horses. A look outside your window and you see a bunch of figures on horseback armed with spear type weapons and bows. At this range you think they might be green skinned. Probably orcs given the noises they're making.

So much for Empire territory being safe everywhere. Granted you are currently closer to one of its borders, but you'd think that would just mean they'd protect it a hell of a lot better.

The carriage you're currently on goes faster, but it's obvious that the orc raiders are going to attempt to cut everyone off assuming they don't kill everyone with arrows first.

Several of said arrows go into your carriage and you try to get as flat as possible. You really wish you still had your pistol. You'd at least be able to fire back.

"THEY'RE GOING TO CATCH UP TO US! EVERYONE TO ARMS!" you hear someone shout and the carriage comes to a halt.

Last time you looked, there was a hell of a lot of orcs. Granted you have some of the Empire's soldiers with you and hopefully a few of the bastard passengers in the other carriages are above average with their lack of formal magic training, but it's not going to be an easy fight.

You almost wonder if you should just run for your life. As strange as it is, you haven't been in a real life or death fight in years since you've been here. You're probably a little rusty. There's also the fact that most of the people you ever fought with were other humans. Orcs are a whole different story. Especially this blood thirsty looking lot.

You help fight off the orcs

You need to get to Arcanius. If you run and these assholes lose, then you're in for a long walk. If you run away and they live, you can't imagine that the survivors aren't going to be keen on taking you along after you abandoned them, also resulting in a long walk.

You're going to have to at least make the attempt, as much as you'd rather just run.

Still, there's no reason to go rushing headlong into battle. On top of being on horseback, the orcs are armed with bows, spears and javelins. You aren't some heavily armored soldier and you don't have magic powers to fire back. If you still had your pistol this might not be as big of a deal since you could easily fire back at them. Since you don't have any of those things, you figure you'll continue to hide in the carriage until you see a suitable opening to attack.

You remain low to the floor in the carriage, occasionally looking out the window. You mostly the orcs circling about on horseback and using their bows to their advantage, though a couple of the novice mages are breaking up that advantage by slinging a few magic missile spells while hiding behind the shield wall that the soldiers have created.

For a while it looks like you might survive all this and not even have to fight after all.

Unfortunately that's when the leader shows up. He's not riding a horse either, but a chariot pulled by what looks like giant armored boars. Several of his people rally in front of him and they all make a beeline charge towards the soldiers, while others ride around to flank the sides.

To their credit, the soldiers hold the wall and a few of the mages don't even run and instead try to take out the main force approaching, but ultimately the orcs have more numbers and the leader is tough.

His chariot crashes spectacularly into the shield wall, breaking through and trampling several of the soldiers. The boars and chariot aren't in the best of shape either of course, but that doesn't matter since the leader has already jumped off it and begin chopping people up directly with a huge axe.

"Shit. Should have left when I had the chance." You say and leave the carriage as quick as you can.

Realizing that this is a lost battle, you quickly start trying to free one of the living horses still attached to one of the carriages (and desperately trying to get free of the chaos by trying to drag the carriage despite the fact that it's dead fellows along side it are preventing such a thing)

Of course while you're trying to do this one of the mounted orcs appears and gallops straight towards you. You try to get back in the carriage to avoid being trampled or cut down, but instead the orc grabs the last javelin on his back and throws it at you.

Predictably he's a good shot and you're impaled through the back and out your chest. Your death is instantaneous.