Ayrell/Logs/Wild Magic 05222025/Asildu Reveals Second Artifact
| Asildu Reveals Second Artifact |
| Event Date: 5/22/2025 |
| Event Instance: Prime |
Date
It has been 452 years, 348 days since the Victory of Lanival the Redeemer.
It is the 9th month of Dolefaren the Brigantine (ship) in the year of the Iron Toad.
It is currently fall and it is late evening.
Asildu on the Gweth
- Breath of the Heralds Asildu joins the adventure.
[General] Your mind hears Asildu thinking, "A fine evening, it is."
[General] Your mind hears Ryeka thinking, "Good evening to you too!"
[General] Your mind hears Ollythander thinking, "it's good to hear your thoughts Asildu, how are you tonight?"
[General] Your mind hears Crobin thinking, "How are you doing Asildu?"
[General] Your mind hears Asildu thinking, "I'm listening to my song and thinking of memories I've recalled."
[General] Your mind hears Ollythander thinking, "I will have to seek you out then. Albreda's Lullabye is a wonderful song to hear, and I have a bubble wand for you."
[General] Your mind hears Casari thinking, "Sounds promising."
[General] Your mind hears Asildu thinking, "Can't say I've ever been to the Rest of Ages before, but it's rather quaint."
[General] Your mind hears Valynn thinking, "That is a pretty inn in a pretty village."
[General] Your mind hears Crobin thinking, "not sure I have ever been there either"
Asildu Reveals Details of Artifact's Location
[Rest of Ages Inn, Gulthorn's Hearth Room]
The dining room is one large open hearth. A curved fireback along the far wall leads to a hollow chimney branch. Tall, iron firedogs cradle logs that burn over a bed of embers, in which stand mullers of beer and spiced wine. Gridirons hold sizzling hunks of game while rich stews and savory soups bubble in great, blackened cauldrons. Despite the smoke and heat, the food and the atmosphere here are irresistible, as are the charms of the reserved yet solicitous proprietor, Gulthorn. You also see a russet lynx that is sitting and an engraved menuboard.* Breath of the Heralds Asildu joins the adventure.
Obvious exits: up, down, out.
[General] Your mind hears Casari thinking, "Village? Third best city in Kermoria!"
Casari waves.
Casari says, "Good evening."
Asildu says, "Hello there."
Maraisel smiles.
[General] Your mind hears Crobin thinking, "Which Village is That in?"
Casari asks, "You're looking better. How are you feeling?"
[General] Your mind hears Casari thinking, "Leth Deriel."
Asildu says, "I'm feeling... optimistic."
Casari smiles.
[General] Your mind hears Ryeka thinking, "Ah yes, Leth Deriel is a beautiful place- and has a wonderful bakery as well as a nice inn."
Casari asks, "It's probably because you have such good taste in locales. Had you really never been here before?"
A soothing melody plays across the area near Asildu, each soft, tranquil note seeming to aid in maintaining his calm.
Fearless Crobin just arrived.
[General] Your mind hears Valynn thinking, "I grew up near Leth. It's still a village to me."
[General] Your mind hears Ollythander thinking, "I was born in Leth Deriel actually!"
Asildu says, "If I have, I'd... forgotten."
Asildu says, "Memories, these days."
Asildu gazes upward.
Mountain Lord Ezerak just arrived.
Casari says, "Right, there's that."
Crobin nods to Asildu.
Crobin shakes Ezerak's hand.
Crobin waves to Maraisel.
Crobin waves to Casari.
Maraisel waves to Crobin.
Casari nods.
Asildu says, "I traveled a lot, so it's possible. But I tended to avoid cities. Towns. Villages."
Asildu ponders.
Asildu says, "People."
Casari says, "They can seem a tad overrated at times."
Ezerak says to Asildu, "Understandable, really."
Ezerak nods at Casari, obviously agreeing with her views.
Knight of Meraud Tirost just arrived.
You notice as a sand-hued lynx with a tufted black-tipped tail pads into the room.
Crobin hugs Tirost, who wraps his arms around Crobin with a warm smile.
Tirost smiles.
Tirost hugs Crobin, who wraps his arms around Tirost with a warm smile.
Tirost nods to Asildu.
Ezerak nods politely to Tirost.
Casari briefly spreads her arms outward and begins to chant sharply. The skipping, sparkling rhythm entices the air to shed moisture and to warm as if under a summer sun.
The air shifts as the persuasive melody of the enchante surrounds you, and suddenly the area seems hotter and drier.
Tirost bows to Ezerak.
Asildu nods politely.
Tirost gets a lynx talisman from inside his watersilk bag.
A sand-hued lynx curls up and takes a nap.
Tirost puts his talisman in his watersilk bag.
Asildu says, "I'm still adjusting to... people."
Casari says, "Better than the alternative."
Thinker Couri's group just arrived.
Crobin waves to Couri.
Asildu asks Casari, "And what might that be?"
Couri beams at Crobin!
Crobin shakes Qetu's hand.
Casari says, "Not being able to be among them anymore."
Tirost asks, "Your song has been helping you?"
Asildu says, "Ah. Yes, there's that."
A soothing melody plays across the area near Asildu, each soft, tranquil note seeming to aid in maintaining his calm.
Asildu nods to Tirost.
Asildu says, "It continues to prove beneficial."
Crobin says, "I shall return. My love is waking up so I shall return."
Tirost says, "Music sooths even the savage beast, they say."
Fearless Crobin saunters out.
Asildu says, "I never used to consider myself a savage beast, but... here we are."
Tirost smiles.
Tirost shakes his head.
Casari says, "They can try to make you one, but you're always going to be what you choose to be, if you have the will."
Tirost says, "Just so."
Tirost gets a burnished silversteel tankard crowned with laurel leaves from inside his sling bag.
[General] Your mind hears Zehira thinking, "I live in Leth, quite a nice little treehouse in a spooky little area"
Tirost flips open the lid on his silversteel tankard.
Asildu says, "The problem with trusting sometimes is that you let your guard down and your will gets stolen."
Tirost grins.
Tirost says, "Indeed."
Asildu says, "Getting it back... now that's the trick."
Strawberry Nurse Illiya just arrived.
Tirost raises his tankard, drinking deeply from the Dwarven ale inside.
Sir Ollythander just arrived.
Casari asks, "And how is your will now?"
Ollythander pants.
Couri hugs Ollythander, who wraps his arms around Couri with a warm smile.
Tirost smiles at Illiya.
Asildu says to Casari, "Improving, I think."
Ollythander just hugged Couri.
Illiya grins at Tirost, her dimples flashing into view.
Casari nods.
Illiya bobs a quick curtsy to Asildu.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "This run is so much further with small legs."
Couri beams at Illiya!
Tirost asks Illiya, "Can I trouble you for healing?"
Illiya lays her hand on Tirost's arm.
Asildu nods politely.
Tirost smiles.
Ollythander gets a redwood wand from inside his white backpack.
Illiya says to Tirost, "I was getting it before you even asked."
Ollythander says to Asildu in a polished accent, "I was asked to bring you this bubble wand."
Tirost says to Illiya, "Thanks, as always."
Ollythander offers Asildu a redwood wand.
Asildu accepts Ollythander's wand.
Asildu ponders.
Ollythander smiles.
Illiya babbles something incoherent at Ollythander.
Asildu asks, "Bubble wand?"
Ollythander nods to Asildu.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "Wave it...bubbles."
Illiya ponders.
Asildu gazes at his wand.
Asildu waves his wand through the air conjuring bubbles in its wake. The bubbles begin to float throughout the area.
Ollythander smiles.
Asildu says, "Oh. Bubbles."
Ollythander nods to Asildu.
Casari laughs softly, trying to hide her amusement.
Several of bubbles float up and out of sight.
Ollythander asks in a polished accent, "It's good to have things that remind us to have fun and be just...people you know?"
Casari says, "Now that ought to really distract them, if they're watching."
Bubbles float all about the place.
Illiya grins at Casari, her dimples flashing into view.
Tirost glances at Maraisel.
Tirost frowns.
Asildu says to Ollythander, "I'm not sure ever took the time to be a... people."
The last of the bubbles pop out of existence.
Ollythander smiles at Asildu.
Asildu says, "I started my studies at a very young age."
Ollythander says to Asildu in a polished accent, "Well hopefully no matter what happens, this will let you do it more now."
Asildu says to Ollythander, "I suppose we'll see."
[General] Your mind hears Stelling thinking, "teachable moments are good for those that learn from them"
Ryeka just arrived.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I train diligently every day, near night and day...but I still take time for bubbles...and tea...and sandwhiches."
Ryeka smiles, revealing the dimples in her cheeks.
Tirost smiles at Ryeka.
Ryeka winks at Tirost.
Ollythander says to Asildu in a polished accent, "And I wanted to make sure you got that chance too...I know others have a ton of important things to say, and stuff...but this was important to me."
Casari asks, "You mentioned some memories you had recalled. If this place wasn't one of them, then was it one of the objects?"
Asildu nods politely to Ollythander.
Ollythander bows to Asildu.
Ollythander stands near Couri.
Couri beams at Ollythander!
Ryeka smiles at Asildu, revealing the dimples in her cheeks.
Tirost stares intently at a russet lynx for a moment.
Asildu says to Ollythander, "I will consider the bubbles during my future contemplations."
Ollythander smiles at Asildu.
Asildu says to Casari, "As a matter of fact, it was."
Casari cracks her knuckles.
Ollythander says to Asildu in a polished accent, "And you can always seek me out for another wand, or a good drink and a snack."
Casari says, "Can't wait to crack another one."
Ryeka asks, "Have you eaten yet?"
Ryeka peers quizzically at Asildu.
Ollythander rummages through a small ironwood treasure chest stamped with the letters "T.G.".
Asildu says, "I did promise to pass along the information as soon as I remembered enough to potentially lead you to another item of interest. I lack specific details, but I think I remember enough, at least."
Illiya nods to Asildu.
Ryeka nods to Asildu.
Asildu says to Ryeka, "I tend to forget to do that."
Tirost gazes at Asildu.
Ollythander says to Ryeka in a polished accent, "I have some food if he hasn't."
Ollythander smiles.
Ryeka ponders.
Ollythander gets a towering bowl of slurpy noodles and minced-mice balls slathered in red sauce from inside a small ironwood treasure chest stamped with the letters "T.G.".
Asildu puts his wand in his scholar's satchel.
An Elven waitress places some fresh herbed rainbow soup on the table.
Ollythander gets some chocolate spiderwebs from inside a small ironwood treasure chest stamped with the letters "T.G.".
Ollythander moves a towering bowl of slurpy noodles and minced-mice balls slathered in red sauce to his left hand.
Ollythander moves some chocolate spiderwebs to his right hand.
Ryeka gets some fresh herbed rainbow soup from atop a polished wooden table.
Ollythander nods at Ryeka, obviously agreeing with her views.
Ryeka offers Asildu some fresh herbed rainbow soup.
Ollythander puts his spiderwebs in a rugged white backpack.
Asildu accepts Ryeka's herbed rainbow soup.
Ollythander puts his noodles in a rugged white backpack.
Asildu nods politely to Ryeka.
Ryeka says, "I wasn't sure how you felt about meat."
Asildu says to Ryeka, "Thank you."
[General] Your mind hears Aemaranth thinking, "Illiya I have that thing for you."
Ryeka blushes, the tips of her ears turning a delicate scarlet hue.
Ryeka smiles, revealing the dimples in her cheeks.
Ollythander gets a flute of fizzy punch layered in candy corn hues from inside a small ironwood treasure chest stamped with the letters "T.G.".
The warm air swirling around you stills and begins to cool.
Ollythander offers Ryeka a flute of fizzy punch layered in candy corn hues.
Asildu says to Ryeka, "My memory has me in a place where I'm not sure how I feel about meat, either."
Ryeka says, "My pleasure. It's great to talk with you without ducking drakes and so on."
Ryeka grins, revealing her dimples.
Ryeka accepts Ollythander's fizzy punch.
Ollythander grins at Ryeka.
Ryeka beams at Ollythander!
Ryeka exclaims, "And thank you!"
Ollythander says to Ryeka in a polished accent, "I came with treats as a just in case."
Ryeka hugs Ollythander, who wraps his arms around Ryeka with a warm smile.
Ryeka nods.
Ryeka grins, revealing her dimples.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I assumed he tends to forget to eat, most who study hard do."
Ryeka takes a sip of her punch.
Ollythander winks at Asildu.
Ryeka nods in agreement.
Asildu chuckles.
[General] Your mind hears Illiya thinking, "I'll find you soon, unless you feel like visiting the Rest of Ages inn!"
Asildu sniffs at some fresh herbed rainbow soup.
Ryeka says, "Mother Sothavi has nagged me about that too."
Asildu takes a sip of the soup.
Asildu says, "Not bad."
Ryeka smiles, revealing the dimples in her cheeks.
Asildu says, "But, yes. The item of interest."
Asildu gazes upward.
Casari nods.
Tirost rests his hand on a haralun bastard sword inscribed with arcane symbols.
Ryeka takes a sip of her punch.
Asildu says, "I hope you're all feeling adventurous, because I recall this one being much farther away."
Ollythander nods to Asildu.
Illiya says, "Oh goodness."
Tirost raises his tankard, drinking deeply from the Dwarven ale inside.
[General] Your mind hears Aemaranth thinking, "I am up in the Crossing. Someone had to stuff Betlinds spirit backinside her body."
Ryeka takes a sip of her punch.
Asildu says, "And by farther away, I mean... you'll have some water to cross."
Ryeka nods.
Couri says, "I hae a ship."
Casari asks, "In Qi'Reshalia?"
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "Sounds like a fun boat ride."
Ollythander smiles at Couri.
Tirost blinks at Couri.
Asildu says to Casari, "I remember an island, so I think I can safely say yes to that, despite my memory fog."
Casari nods.
Ryeka nods.
Casari says, "No shortage of islands there, though."
Ryeka takes a sip of her punch.
Illiya nods.
Ryeka says, "Ratha, Aesry Surlaenis, Mer'Kresh."
Tirost says to Asildu, "No detail you can remember is too small."
Asildu says, "Yes. Which is fortunate for vacationing. Less so for hunting artifacts of immense power."
Ryeka nods in agreement.
Tirost raises his tankard, drinking deeply from the Dwarven ale inside.
Ryeka takes a sip of her punch.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "The shells there are also fun to collect."
Asildu says, "I recall it being quite high up. Not really a mountain, like before, but... higher. With quite a few of the sea."
Asildu says, "Quite a view, that is."
Asildu coughs.
Tirost asks, "Ratha, maybe?"
Ryeka chuckles.
Illiya ponders.
Couri nods to Tirost.
Ryeka nods to Tirost.
Asildu says, "Eating does strange things to my ability to talk, it seems."
Ollythander says to Tirost in a polished accent, "The view near Phelim's temple is astounding."
Asildu coughs.
Casari asks, "There are a lot of high places. Volcanoes do that. What else do you remember?"
Couri says, "The tower near..."
Couri nods to Ollythander.
Couri says, "Aey."
Tirost says to Ollythander, "I'll have to visit."
Ollythander grins at Couri.
Ryeka says, "That sounds right. Ratha is divided into tiers."
Ezerak nods at Casari, obviously agreeing with her views.
Ollythander says to Tirost in a polished accent, "Highly recommended."
Illiya says to Casari, "I love how you get right to the point."
Ezerak nods at Illiya, obviously agreeing with her views.
Asildu says, "I remember there being a marker of some sort. A large stone. Very ancient looking."
Ryeka ponders.
Ezerak asks Illiya, "Why beat around the bush, when you can set it on fire?"
Illiya flashes a quick grin at Ezerak.
Ryeka grins at Ezerak, her dimples flashing into view.
Tirost nods at Ezerak, obviously agreeing with his views.
Tirost says to Ezerak, "Well said."
Asildu says, "The surrounding area was a bit dangerous, but I think the entrance was somewhat safe."
Fearless Crobin's group just arrived.
Casari asks, "Just one stone?"
Ryeka nods.
Ollythander waves to Crobin.
Leayne waves.
Crobin hugs Ollythander, who wraps his arms around Crobin with a warm smile.
Crobin hugs Illiya, getting a smile in return.
Tirost hugs Crobin, who wraps his arms around Tirost with a warm smile.
Ollythander hugs Crobin, who wraps his arms around Ollythander with a warm smile.
Leayne hugs Ollythander, who wraps his arms around Leayne with a warm smile.
Leayne hugs Illiya, getting a smile in return.
Tirost hugs Leayne, who wraps her arms around Tirost with a warm smile.
Couri hugs Leayne, who wraps her arms around Couri with a warm smile.
Leayne hugs Tirost, who wraps his arms around Leayne with a warm smile.
Illiya beams at Leayne!
Leayne just hugged Couri.
Illiya hugs Crobin, who wraps his arms around Illiya with a warm smile.
Asildu says, "Yes. Ratger tall. Somewhat weathered. Marble, I think."
Illiya hugs Leayne, who wraps her arms around Illiya with a warm smile.
Illiya leans over to give Leayne a friendly smooch.
Asildu gazes at his soup.
Leayne smiles at Asildu, revealing the dimples in her cheeks.
Asildu asks, "Does soup usually make it this hard to talk?"
Leayne nods to Ollythander.
Tirost says, "I don't know the islands well at all."
Ollythander nods to Asildu.
Illiya says, "Me either."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "Thick soups, yes."
Casari ponders.
Asildu takes a sip of the soup.
Illiya asks Asildu, "Can you remember any other details about the stone or the surrounding area?"
Crobin stands near Leayne.
Ryeka exclaims, "That I don't know- but I do know Granny Tanglefoot in Arthe Dale likes secret ingredients!"
Ollythander gets some glowing Elothean windhaze from inside a small ironwood treasure chest stamped with the letters "T.G.".
Ryeka winks at Asildu.
Ollythander offers Asildu some glowing Elothean windhaze.
Crobin's body below the waist is dripping water everywhere.
Leayne giggles.
Asildu puts his stick in his scholar's satchel.
Asildu accepts Ollythander's Elothean windhaze.
Ezerak ponders.
Asildu gazes at his windhaze.
Ollythander smiles at Asildu.
Asildu nods politely to Ollythander.
Ollythander nods.
Asildu says, "I'm almost afraid to consume this."
Ezerak says, "Reshalia is probably the highest elevation of the islands."
Illiya says, "That one is a strong drink."
Ollythander ponders.
Ezerak says, "Though...volcanoes."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "Oh my appologies."
Ezerak chuckles.
Crobin chuckles at Ollythander.
Ollythander rummages through a small ironwood treasure chest stamped with the letters "T.G." with a frantic look of loss.
Ollythander asks in a polished accent, "I've got some apple wine?"
Ollythander gets a bottle of Halfling Apple wine from inside a small ironwood treasure chest stamped with the letters "T.G.".
Leayne gets a glass of red wine from inside her leather haversack.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "Less strong."
Asildu says, "As for other details, I just remember it being on the edge. Looking out at the water. Seabirds flying around."
Leayne nods to Crobin.
Ryeka nods.
Illiya rubs her head.
Tirost says, "So we're looking for a large stone marker, maybe of marble at the entrance to a dangerous place."
Leayne takes a sip of her wine.
Ryeka ponders.
Tirost says, "And it's somewhere high."
Asildu nods to Tirost.
Crobin ponders.
Ryeka says, "A tower? I seem to remember one on the fourth tier."
Crobin says, "I will leave this to the more well traveled people I think."
Crobin nods.
Tirost says to Asildu, "Those are good clues. Thank you, Asildu."
Illiya asks, "I thought there were only three tiers?"
Ryeka says, "There is a fourth- but the top one isn't used so much."
Asildu says, "Oh, that might be another important detail. It's not in a city."
Ryeka nods to Asildu.
Asildu says, "As I was saying earlier, I avoided cities."
Illiya says, "Ohhh that is an important detail."
Couri says, "Either Phelims temple or Hodierna's>."
Asildu says, "They tend to be full of people."
Asildu says, "And I'm bad with people."
Ryeka smiles, revealing the dimples in her cheeks.
A soothing melody plays across the area near Asildu, each soft, tranquil note seeming to aid in maintaining his calm.
Leayne softly says, "People."
Illiya says to Asildu, "People can be difficult."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I dunno, you've been pretty good with me."
Ollythander shrugs.
Asildu nods to Illiya.
Ryeka nods in agreement.
Leayne takes a sip of her wine.
Crobin says, "Not sure what I would do if I couldn't be around people."
Illiya dimples at Crobin.
Leayne smiles at Crobin, revealing the dimples in her cheeks.
Asildu says, "I'm racking my brain to see if I can remember anything else."
Tirost nods to Asildu.
Ollythander smiles at Asildu.
Ryeka takes a sip of her punch.
Asildu takes a sip of his windhaze.
Casari shrugs.
Casari says, "It all sounds like... most of the islands, to me. I don't know about the marble boulder."
Asildu asks, "Did anyone have any ideas? Maybe if you discuss things, it could jog my memory more?"
Couri says, "I member goin to the temples and there was a path and it were by the sea."
Asildu takes a sip of the soup.
Ryeka says, "I did just think of Taisgath. I'm not as familiar with that as I am with Ratha and Aesry."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I've only been to Ratha once, and I got super lost."
Ryeka nods to Ollythander.
Leayne nods to Ollythander.
Ezerak ponders.
Couri exclaims, "That because ye be super!"
Ryeka says, "That's easy to do."
Ryeka grins, revealing her dimples.
Tirost says, "I don't know it well either."
Illiya gets a burnished gold leather notebook titled "Investigations" from inside her encompassing shadows.
Illiya jots down some notes.
Crobin sneezes.
Ezerak asks, "Well, if we're going high, let's start with the fourth tier of Ratha? Outside the city somewhere?"
Ryeka nods to Ezerak.
Couri nods to Ezerak.
Leayne pats Crobin on the back.
Couri says, "Ta the east of the temples."
Crobin smiles at Leayne.
Illiya asks, "Does the fourth tier extend outside the city?"
Asildu asks, "Hmm. Taisgath doesn't sound familiar. Not sure I did much venturing there, but I could be wrong. Are there many people there?"
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "There's a lighthouse north of the city."
Casari says, "Does anyone know anything about marble boulders? It otherwise sounds like all of the islands."
Ollythander ponders.
Ezerak asks, "Maybe Hara'jaal, if that doesn't pan out?"
Ryeka says, "Not that I saw."
Ryeka says, "And yes, the fourth tier is outside the city."
Illiya nods to Ryeka.
Illiya says, "I heard there are cliffs in Aesry too."
Ezerak nods to Illiya.
Casari says to Illiya, "It's mostly cliff."
Casari grins.
Ryeka says, "I found silver leucros and I think a small version of peccary there."
Asildu says, "I feel like there is another clue right on the edge of my memory, but I can't quite grasp it."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I think there's also a rock and a monument over in the Silver Leucros."
Ollythander ponders.
Illiya says to Casari, "I guess that does not narrow it down."
Illiya grins at Casari, her dimples flashing into view.
Asildu says, "Something about the danger in the area. But I feel like it should be obvious to me."
Ollythander points at Ryeka.
Asildu ponders.
Ryeka nods to Asildu.
Ollythander says to Ryeka in a polished accent, "That."
Ezerak says, "Lots of cliffs around Qi."
Illiya asks Asildu, "What type of danger is it?"
Ryeka says, "And there is a tower haunted by undead and cursed creatures."
Ezerak says, "I've climbed most of them, at some point or another."
Casari says to Asildu, "Oh, like... you're used to being around drakes? I have never been to see the drakes on Reshalia."
Crobin asks, "Are riding the drakes fun?"
Asildu says to Casari, "That's..."
Asildu ponders.
Asildu says, "Hmm."
Ollythander exclaims in a polished accent, "Oh yea, the hurricane and gale drakes!"
Illiya says, "Oh that might make sense."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I was warned about those, to be careful."
Tirost nods.
Casari asks, "I don't even know where they are. Are there marble stones around them?"
Ezerak asks Casari, "Only one way to find out?"
Ollythander looks at Casari and shrugs.
Illiya says, "And there is a stone there."
Ollythander says to Casari in a polished accent, "Could be a good place to poke around."
Ryeka takes a sip of her punch.
A dark veil of shadows envelops Ezerak, and he disappears!
Illiya says, "I remember there was a stone, I can't remember what it looked like."
Asildu says, "It sounds like you all have some good ideas. It all sounds familiar."
Casari says, "Well, I think Ezerak probably has the right idea, if a bit quick on the draw."
Tirost says, "The drake connection is an interesting one. They do hunt in cliffs of Reshalia."
Ryeka smiles, revealing the dimples in her cheeks.
Casari gives her orb a little prod with the tip of her finger.
Crobin ponders.
Illiya asks Couri, "Where's your ship?"
Asildu says, "Will you all be heading there now? If so, I can find somewhere to remain available in case you need to reach me."
Casari asks, "Seems like the thing to do. Does everyone have a translocation orb?"
Ollythander says to Asildu in a polished accent, "I think you've got them all excited."
Ryeka grins, revealing her dimples.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "Who doesn't love a good treasure hunt."
Leayne nods to Crobin.
Asildu says to Ollythander, "I was hoping so, though my lack of specifics make it difficult to really paint a picture."
Asildu says, "The treasure hunting was my favorite part of my studies."
Tirost says, "I believe the dolphin can take us there too, for those who can call them."
Ollythander says to Asildu in a polished accent, "I think the lack of specifics is part of the fun for them though, you know, like a puzzle to solve."
Ryeka exclaims, "I should rest for the evening- but I have things to think about too. Good hunting!"
Ryeka raises her hand in a quick salute.
Ryeka strides up.
Asildu nods to Ollythander.
Asildu takes a sip of the soup.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I am simply dreadful with puzzles, but I DO like seeing the joy it brings out in people solving them."
Illiya grins at Ollythander, her dimples flashing into view.
Leayne nods to Ollythander.
Casari asks, "I'm guessing the answer was no, you don't all have translocation orbs?"
Illiya says, "I am terrible with navigation, so I would like to join someone."
Couri says, "Me ship is in Crossing."
Illiya says, "I am fine with taking an orb, or a dolphin, or a ship, or whatever."
Asildu says, "With my memory being so hazy, part of me wishes I could go on the adventure with you all, but... I know that's unwise."
Crobin says, "Leayne and myself will be heading back towards Crossing this night."
Casari gives Asildu a slight nod.
Tirost hugs Crobin, who wraps his arms around Tirost with a warm smile.
Crobin says, "I hope you are all able to find what you are hunting for."
Crobin hugs Tirost, who wraps his arms around Crobin with a warm smile.
Crobin hugs Illiya, getting a smile in return.
Illiya hugs Crobin, who wraps his arms around Illiya with a warm smile.
Tirost says to Crobin, "Take care, brother."
Illiya hugs Leayne, who wraps her arms around Illiya with a warm smile.
Maraisel says, "I would be joining someone, too. I didn't inherit my sister's sense of direction."
Ollythander asks Asildu in a polished accent, "Is there anything I can provide, offer, or prepare to get next time to help with that?"
Crobin hugs Ollythander, who wraps his arms around Crobin with a warm smile.
Leayne hugs Tirost, who wraps his arms around Leayne with a warm smile.
Crobin says, "You as well brother."
Illiya leans over to give Leayne a friendly smooch.
Ollythander hugs Crobin, who wraps his arms around Ollythander with a warm smile.
Crobin shakes Qetu's hand.
Tirost smiles.
Crobin waves to Couri.
Crobin waves to Casari.
Tirost flips the lid on his silversteel tankard closed.
Leayne hugs Illiya, getting a smile in return.
Crobin shakes Asildu's hand.
Tirost puts his tankard in his sling bag.
Leayne waves.
Asildu shakes his head at Ollythander.
Leayne smiles at Asildu, revealing the dimples in her cheeks.
Crobin says, "Here we go."
Ollythander says to Asildu in a polished accent, "I hoped that things that make you feel like people might help clear the haze a bit, but it might just be wishful thinking."
Ollythander smiles.
Asildu says to Ollythander, "The problem is that I draw too much attention from above when I linger too long with... people."
Fearless Crobin saunters out, leading his group.
Ollythander nods to Asildu.
Illiya nods to Asildu.
Casari says, "Too bad none of you are a moon mage."
Asildu says, "I'm likely already pushing it."
Ollythander says to Asildu in a polished accent, "I completely understand."
Soul Surgeon Zynell just arrived.
Tirost says, "Our options seem like we can take a boat or we can get there independently and meet somewhere, unless a Moon Mage has magic that can get us all there."
Asildu takes a sip of the soup.
A soothing melody plays across the area near Asildu, each soft, tranquil note seeming to aid in maintaining his calm.
Ollythander asks Asildu in a polished accent, "Where can we meet back up with you once we've found or not found the thing?"
Ollythander smiles at Asildu.
[General] Your mind hears Illiya thinking, "Is there a moon mage available to help open a moongate?"
Asildu says to Ollythander, "If you find it, it would be best I not be near you all for a few days again. Like before. But I would be sure to make myself available in the near future to discuss your findings."
Casari says, "Boats seem so dreadfully slow. Illiya has the right idea."
Casari gestures at a gwethdesuan.
Ollythander nods to Asildu.
Illiya nods to Asildu.
Ollythander asks Asildu in a polished accent, "May I ask a maybe silly question?"
Asildu says to Ollythander, "I can't guarantee an answer, but you can ask."
Ollythander asks in a polished accent, "I've only met you a few times, but I don't remember as many cracks in your stone...is that getting worse, or hurt?"
Asildu asks Ollythander, "Would you believe this is an improvement?"
Ollythander smiles at Asildu.
Casari grins.
Casari says, "Less monster, more man."
Ollythander says to Asildu in a polished accent, "I would, and I'm glad it's improving then."
Ollythander smiles at Asildu.
Casari asks Illiya, "Did anyone answer you?"
Asildu says to Casari, "If you all find this artifact, mayhap I'll be even more man than monster."
[General] Your mind hears Chrysagon thinking, "any lucj"
Couri says, "There be a stone near the drakes on Q'rishalia."
Illiya says, "Nope! I guess there is a shortage of moon mages."
Ollythander says to Asildu in a polished accent, "More time for bubbles."
Ollythander shrugs.
Casari nods emphatically at Asildu.
Asildu nods at Ollythander, obviously agreeing with his views.
Tirost sighs.
Tirost says, "Elore's never around when I need her."
Casari asks Illiya, "Is that one?"
Casari points at a gwethdesuan she has.
Ollythander grins at Tirost.
[General] Your mind hears Chrysagon thinking, "almost"
Illiya says, "Oh wait one has responded."
Asildu says, "Well, I'll leave you all to it, then. The longer I remain, the more risk of drawing attention, and I don't think you all want attention on this treasure hunt."
Ollythander bows to Asildu.
Illiya says, "She will be here soon."
Tirost says to Asildu, "Take care."
Ollythander says to Asildu in a polished accent, "Thank you for enduring."
Casari says to Asildu, "We'll find it and break it, no doubt."
Asildu says, "I'll be available by thought, if you need me."
Ollythander waves to Asildu.
Casari puts her orb in her black longcoat.
Asildu bows awkwardly with his soup in one hand and the windhaze in the other.
Asildu says, "Food. I need to get used to this..."
Asildu steps into a shadow and is simply gone!
Zynell joins Illiya's group.
[General] Your mind hears Elore thinking, "The moonmage isn't going to be sacrificed, right?"
Casari praises Illiya.
Couri joins Illiya's group.
Qetu joins Illiya's group.
Casari joins Illiya's group.
Tirost laughs!
Ollythander joins Illiya's group.
[General] Your mind hears Illiya thinking, "The moon mage will receive our utmost praise and gratitude"
Maraisel joins Illiya's group.
Tirost joins Illiya's group.
[General] Your mind hears Vendelt thinking, "Can I pay for the moon mage to be sacrificed?"
[General] Your mind hears Keemar thinking, "If you do, I'll return the favor"
Illiya says, "While we're waiting, I'll briefly recap the information we received from Asildu."
Illiya gazes at her notebook.
Illiya says, "Asildu recalls the location being on an island and quite high up, not really a mountain like before, but..higher, with quite a view of the sea. There was a marker of some sort, a large stone, very ancient looking. The surrounding area was a bit dangerous but the entrance was somewhat safe. One stone, ratger tall, somewhat weathered, marble he thinks. It was on the edge, looking out at the water, seabirds flying around. It was also not in a city. Taisgath does not sound familiar. When we mentioned the Hurrcaine Drakes area in Reshalia, it seemed familiar to him."
Tirost nods to Illiya.
[General] Your mind hears Elore thinking, "I found a big strong one standing around, he's on it."
Tirost glances at Illiya.
Maraisel says, "Sounds fitting, at least."
Tirost says to Illiya, "Tell me it's Elore we're waiting on..."
Illiya nods to Tirost.
Tirost laughs!
Tirost says, "Gods..."
Illiya puts her notebook in her encompassing shadows.
[General] Your mind hears Tirost thinking, "The mammoths are faster than you, Elore."
Illiya chortles softly at some secret joke.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I'm fairly sure these drakes are far beyond my ability to defend myself."
Zynell says, "We should step outside."
Illiya says, "Ah, good point."
You follow Illiya out.
[Leth Deriel, Before Rest of Ages Inn]
This is the base of the hickory tree in which is housed the Rest of Ages Inn. Irresistible scents of cooked meat, sausages and stews drift out of the door and windows all the while exciting the taste buds. The constant coming and going of patrons suggests that the Inn has a lively trade. You also see a black Moongate, a pool of black shadows and a stable door.
You notice Telamont peering through the other side of the Moongate.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "So I should leave it to you all."
Casari peers through the Moongate.
Ollythander smiles.
Maraisel says to Ollythander, "He did say the entrance was safe, so we might be okay."
Tirost peers through the Moongate.
You notice as a russet lynx pads into the area.
Qetu peers through the Moongate.
Illiya peers through the Moongate.
Ollythander nods to Maraisel.
Ollythander peers through the Moongate.
Illiya says, "I don't know where that is."
Zynell says, "Ratha."
Maraisel peers through the Moongate.
Maraisel nods.
Maraisel says, "Yes, that's Ratha."
Illiya asks, "Ah, shall we then?"
[General] Your mind hears Elore thinking, "Fortunately you don't have to rely on me!"
Strawberry Nurse Illiya's group went through a black Moongate.
Arrival to Ratha - The Search Begins
[Shh'o'kumu Terrace, Gateway Drive]
Chaos and confusion is typical at this intersection between the main gates to the city. A large sign directs the traveler to one of two possible exits. Nadamian Avenue to the south is the main thoroughfare leading to the lifts and the city below. You also see a black Moongate, a tri-shot munitions crate and a tri-bolt ballista.
Obvious paths: east, south, west.
Zynell joins Telamont's group.
Mazilyn joins Illiya's group.
Shadow Mage Telamont's group went through a black Moongate.
A black Moongate collapses in on itself.
Ollythander says to you in a polished accent, "I'll try not to be a liability then."
Qetu asks in a measured accent, "Was this the right area?"
Tirost chuckles.
Maraisel grins at Ollythander.
Maraisel pats Ollythander on the back.
Casari asks Illiya, "Do you know the way to the drakes from here?"
[General] Your mind hears Tirost thinking, "I know better, but Illiya..."
Illiya says, "Umm let me see."
You follow Illiya east.
[Shh'o'kumu Terrace, Gateway Drive]
The drive is quiet this time of night, an occasional traveller wearily plodding down the drive toward the lower reaches of the city and the comforts of home. Soft lamplight radiates from the polished lanterns burning along the great wall.
Illiya says, "No."
Illiya laughs!
Casari grins.
Maraisel grins.
Illiya asks Casari, "Do you?"
Casari says, "I can try. I think I have an idea where they may be."
Illiya designates Casari as the new leader of the group.
You follow Casari east.
[Shh'o'kumu Terrace, Por'oson Gate]
The great wall culminates here with the large and stately Por'oson Gate. Day and night, streams of travelers find paths through the gate to the agricultural lands and great forests to the northeast, or find access to the ports of the city below. A pair of wary guards watches the comings and goings here, constantly alert to potential trouble.
Mountain Lord Ezerak just arrived.
Casari says, "Looks like we have everyone."
Ezerak joins Casari's group.
Casari asks Ezerak, "Find anything?"
Firehawk Casari's group went through the Por'oson Gate.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
The heavy wooden Por'oson Gate stands open even at night, but the guards keep a close eye on anyone passing through, occasionally stopping a suspicious-looking traveler to ask his business. Torches flaring in heavy iron sconces provide bright illumination, although the shadows that remain seem even blacker by contrast. You also see an onager, an open crate and a stone pile.
You follow Casari north.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
Heavy gravel covers the roadway, allowing the constant wagon traffic to pass over it without creating a muddy morass in wet weather. Deep ditches to either side provide for drainage but also create a hazard for any wagon wheel that slips into them. Stagnant water and cattails fill the low spots.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
Well-tended fields stretch out over the flat ground as far as can be seen, and the night breeze passing over them creates a gentle hissing sound in the still darkness. Off to the northwest, the tall cone of Reshalia's volcano lies slumbering on the horizon, visible only as a darker mass against the sky. You also see a wrecked catapult.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
A cluster of old buildings lies just a short bit off the road, slowly falling into ruin. The wood from which they were originally built has weathered down to a uniform dark grey, and any paint has long since disappeared. A few tendrils of wild kord slither around the exposed ribs of the rafters.
Ezerak says to Casari, "No, was waiting for all of you to show up."
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
A small farm pond has been created by damming a tiny stream running along the fields. Thick cattails and marsh grass choke most of it, and they are inhabited by loud swarms of frogs vocalizing their love calls into the night. A few cattle slumber nearby, visible only as small mounds in the darkness.
You follow Casari east.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
A line of haystacks along the side of the road creates the only hills visible for leagues in all directions. A few small cottages are scattered here and there among the grain fields, surrounded by mounds of trees.
You follow Casari east.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
Carefully plowed fields march off to either side in neat geometry, each one squared up against its neighbors. Near the road, an abandoned farm cottage droops, doors missing, so that passersby see straight through the front door and out the back to the fields beyond.
You follow Casari east.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
At just the right spot, it's possible to look down the neat rows plowed perpendicular to the road almost as far as the horizon. A tumble of black stones has been piled up next to the road. Near it, someone has made an amateur start on a stacked stone wall, but it crumbles after only a few lengths.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
Ruts in the road mark where the wheels of the farmers' wagons travel back and forth to town. In whole sections, the gravel has been washed away and the surface is only dirt.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
The ocean stretches out at the eastward horizon, a flat black expanse visible between the gently rolling hills. It blends into the darkness of the sky, making their line of separation hard to pick out.
You follow Casari north.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
Fields of cultivated kord lie to either side of the road, carefully tended and weeded by the farmer who owns this land. The fibrous plants grow tall and stalky, with only a few leaves scattered along the stem.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
Fields of grain stretch to the west, looking something like a child's nubby blanket that has been carelessly tossed on the ground. Occasionally a rough track, just wide enough for a wagon, branches off the main road and heads into the fields. To the east, the drop-off down to the ocean is not far, and if the wind is right, the sound of waves crashing at its base can faintly be heard.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
A point of black rock juts into the ocean like an arrowhead. The road curves with it, just at the edge of the fall down to the water, hugging a large bay cut into the coast. A narrow strip of sand lies at the base of the rocks.
Maraisel says to Ezerak, "We're on an adventure."
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
Streaks of reflected light gleam and waver across the black water below, glowing almost luminously on the white froth of the waves breaking along the shore. The constant rhythmic roar provides a background to the other quiet noises of the night.
You follow Casari west.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
The road winds around huge rocks, curving along the steep hill falling toward the ocean. Boulders stud the sandy beach below, the black basalt twisted into odd shapes by the force of the waves and its volcanic origin.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
A narrow band of sand lies at the base of the steep rocks on which the road runs, washed by the ceaseless rhythm of the waves rolling in. A huge pile of driftwood has collected just above high tide level, forming nooks and crannies that are inhabited by several kinds of creatures, judging from the tracks left in the sand.
Casari says, "I assume we're going roughly the right way."
Ezerak grins at Maraisel, his dimples flashing into view.
You follow Casari north.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
A thin stream tumbles down the cliff face, scattering on rocks in its way, and passing under the road's narrow wooden bridge to throw itself in a filmy veil off the cliff and into the ocean below.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
The road winds around tumbled black basalt rocks that fall steeply down into the bay. The water swirls at their base as the waves roll in, in places white with foam, in others a deep green that hints at its depth.
You follow Casari east.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
Just offshore, huge boulders and slices of rock break the waves. Some are almost small islands, while others barely show above the surface of the water, suggesting that there may be more hidden and dangerous rocks lurking unseen below.
You follow Casari east.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
A bit of the cliffside has split off and created a small island just about the same height as the roadway. A lone dwarf pine tree is growing on the very top of the massive rock, bent by the constant ocean breeze so that its leaves look like windswept smoke trailing out behind the trunk.
You follow Casari east.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
Hugging the cliffside, the road has been well maintained, although a scar here and there shows where a bit of it slid down into the water below. Jagged boulders just offshore create a hazard to any boater attempting to navigate into the bay, as the spray flung up by the force of the waves attests.
You follow Casari east.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
A good-sized bay cuts into the coast, and the road curves around the cliffs lining it. Across the stretch of water to the south, a pale line cutting across the hillside marks its path as it heads toward the city gates of Ratha.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
The road has been cut into the hillside, with a spectacular drop down to the ocean on one side and black tumbled rock on the other. Waves rolling in send spray flying as they crash on the rough boulders below.
Casari says, "Wait a moment, I think this is the wrong road."
Ollythander stands near Couri.
Casari grins.
Illiya chortles softly at some secret joke.
Ollythander exclaims to Couri in a polished accent, "What a night!"
Casari says, "Good exercise, though."
Couri smiles at Ollythander.
You follow Casari southwest.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
A good-sized bay cuts into the coast, and the road curves around the cliffs lining it. Across the stretch of water to the south, a pale line cutting across the hillside marks its path as it heads toward the city gates of Ratha.
You follow Casari west.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
Hugging the cliffside, the road has been well maintained, although a scar here and there shows where a bit of it slid down into the water below. Jagged boulders just offshore create a hazard to any boater attempting to navigate into the bay, as the spray flung up by the force of the waves attests.
You follow Casari west.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
A bit of the cliffside has split off and created a small island just about the same height as the roadway. A lone dwarf pine tree is growing on the very top of the massive rock, bent by the constant ocean breeze so that its leaves look like windswept smoke trailing out behind the trunk.
Maraisel chuckles.
You follow Casari west.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
Just offshore, huge boulders and slices of rock break the waves. Some are almost small islands, while others barely show above the surface of the water, suggesting that there may be more hidden and dangerous rocks lurking unseen below.
You follow Casari west.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
The road winds around tumbled black basalt rocks that fall steeply down into the bay. The water swirls at their base as the waves roll in, in places white with foam, in others a deep green that hints at its depth.
You follow Casari southwest.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
A thin stream tumbles down the cliff face, scattering on rocks in its way, and passing under the road's narrow wooden bridge to throw itself in a filmy veil off the cliff and into the ocean below.
You follow Casari south.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
A narrow band of sand lies at the base of the steep rocks on which the road runs, washed by the ceaseless rhythm of the waves rolling in. A huge pile of driftwood has collected just above high tide level, forming nooks and crannies that are inhabited by several kinds of creatures, judging from the tracks left in the sand.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
The road winds around huge rocks, curving along the steep hill falling toward the ocean. Boulders stud the sandy beach below, the black basalt twisted into odd shapes by the force of the waves and its volcanic origin.
(travel)
You follow Casari southwest.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
A cluster of old buildings lies just a short bit off the road, slowly falling into ruin. The wood from which they were originally built has weathered down to a uniform dark grey, and any paint has long since disappeared. A few tendrils of wild kord slither around the exposed ribs of the rafters.
Couri exclaims, "It certainly be!"
You follow Casari southwest.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
Well-tended fields stretch out over the flat ground as far as can be seen, and the night breeze passing over them creates a gentle hissing sound in the still darkness. Off to the northwest, the tall cone of Reshalia's volcano lies slumbering on the horizon, visible only as a darker mass against the sky. You also see a wrecked catapult.
You follow Casari southwest.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
Heavy gravel covers the roadway, allowing the constant wagon traffic to pass over it without creating a muddy morass in wet weather. Deep ditches to either side provide for drainage but also create a hazard for any wagon wheel that slips into them. Stagnant water and cattails fill the low spots.
You follow Casari south.
[Reshalia, Coastal Road]
The heavy wooden Por'oson Gate stands open even at night, but the guards keep a close eye on anyone passing through, occasionally stopping a suspicious-looking traveler to ask his business. Torches flaring in heavy iron sconces provide bright illumination, although the shadows that remain seem even blacker by contrast. You also see an onager, an open crate and a stone pile.
Firehawk Casari's group went through the Por'oson Gate.
[Shh'o'kumu Terrace, Por'oson Gate]
The great wall culminates here with the large and stately Por'oson Gate. Day and night, streams of travelers find paths through the gate to the agricultural lands and great forests to the northeast, or find access to the ports of the city below. A pair of wary guards watches the comings and goings here, constantly alert to potential trouble.
[General] Your mind hears Chrysagon thinking, "i know right"
You follow Casari west.
[Shh'o'kumu Terrace, Gateway Drive]
The drive is quiet this time of night, an occasional traveller wearily plodding down the drive toward the lower reaches of the city and the comforts of home. Soft lamplight radiates from the polished lanterns burning along the great wall.
You follow Casari west.
[Shh'o'kumu Terrace, Gateway Drive]
Chaos and confusion is typical at this intersection between the main gates to the city. A large sign directs the traveler to one of two possible exits. Nadamian Avenue to the south is the main thoroughfare leading to the lifts and the city below. You also see a tri-shot munitions crate and a tri-bolt ballista.
You follow Casari west.
[Shh'o'kumu Terrace, Gateway Drive]
A handsome stone and timber kiosk stands back from the road, the crossed swords identifying it as the guard station. Wagonloads of goods arrive in a steady stream heading toward the Sur'oson gate and the distant towns beyond.
You follow Casari west.
[Shh'o'kumu Terrace, Sur'oson Gate]
Tall timbers and rough-hewn stone form a giant gate in the great wall. Standing open for the streams of wagon and foot traffic to pass through, the entrance to Ratha is carefully guarded by observant sentinels who watch every passerby with trained eyes.
Firehawk Casari's group went through the Sur'oson Gate.
[Ratha, Outside Sur'oson Gate]
Cloaked travelers slip in and out of the gate, wrapped up against the chill of the night and carrying torches and lanterns to light their way. Although there are relatively few folk passing through at this hour, the gate guards seem particularly alert as they assess each person, keeping one eye on the shadows. You also see a large stable built against the city wall, the Sur'oson Gate, a stone pile and a stone pile.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road]
The well-maintained gravel road connects the farmland to the northwest with the walled city to the southeast. The city doesn't appear to cover much territory when viewed from this direction, but judging by the noise drifting this way it has to be quite a bit larger than it appears.
(travel)
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Farmland]
To the west, in a corner where two kord fields meet at an angle, is a small rocky spot where the farmers have built a wooden shrine. A path planted on either side with daisies and ornamental grasses leads to the cozy structure. Two stone cows lie on either side of the path, their necks garlanded with wilted daisy wreaths, their carved eyes flat and glazed looking.
You follow Casari north.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Farmland]
A large pile of decomposing weeds lies fetid on the east side of the road. Judging by the mound they rest on, the farmer across the way has been dumping weeds here for many years. The pile is decomposing -- slowly -- and the ripe, earthy stench is overwhelming.
[General] Your mind hears Asildu thinking, "How do you all fare out there?"
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Farmland]
The night has drawn its cloak over the quiet fields to the southwest. You hear an occasional soughing of wind or rustling of vegetation, but other than that all is quiet. It's too dark to tell what might be planted only a few armlengths away, or what stage of life the plants might be in.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Farmland]
Bees circle busily about a huge old oak tree on one side of the road. Too big to dig out of the field, the farmer apparently thought it better to succumb to the inevitable and leave it. There are signs that he's harvested honey from the hive, so he's reaped some benefit from his mercy, although the bees, were they capable of considering the matter, would most likely not see it that way.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Farmland]
Two crops meet here at this bend in the road, which follows the boundaries of two different fields ploughed at a slight angle with each other. The fields to the north are planted in beans, a tall, spreading variety which grows up twined stakes. Those to the south are planted in kord, a shorter, fibrous plant, yellowish and tangled looking.
You follow Casari north.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Farmland]
Shy columbines grow in the shade of a spreading elm tree, their nodding heads of cream colored blossoms surrounded by colorful spurs in red and yellow and purple, giving them a graceful delicacy. Night breezes set the blooms to swaying, and the calls of night birds echo through the darkness.
You follow Casari north.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Farmland]
The steep berm east of the road curves around from east to south. The far curvature to the east is almost visible, but the smooth, grassy ridge disappears to the south too far for one to make out the southern boundary. A narrow strip of wasteland runs between the base of the berm and the trade road, while across the road a wider strip of cropland spreads out all the way to the base of a large volcano just visible on the horizon.
You follow Casari north.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Farmland]
A large patch of field on the eastern side of the road grows what appears to be hops, while the larger spread of land on the opposite side is planted in pole beans. The fields are well tended and appear to be flourishing. A number of people, both adults and children, are working in the bean fields to the north, but you can't quite make out what they're doing.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Farmland]
The howling and woofing of a number of dogs sound through the night, along with the rustle of things moving through the dark fields to the west. It's too dark to see exactly where the dogs are or what they might be doing, but the occasional panicked cawing of a bird provides a clue.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Farmland]
The large black blob on the eastern side of the road seems to be an anthill, although no ants are visible in the darkness. A hunting owl hoots somewhere nearby, and swarms of fireflies dart and swoop about, lighting up the night like tiny torches.
(travel)
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Clearing]
Bare stumps stand irregularly around the clearing, like headstones in the graveyard of the forest. The demand for lumber drives woodcutters ever farther north from Ratha in their search for more and ever more trees. Ruts in the ground show where the rain, no longer softened by the leafy canopy of the trees, pounds directly into the dirt and runs off in rivulets, carrying soil with it.
You follow Casari east.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Clearing]
A few sparse bushes grow among the stumps and the spindly saplings, but the rest of the ground is either bare and rutted or covered with coarse grass. Blue and orange and yellow wildflowers brighten the otherwise bleak scene, showing the nature will generally win out, if only she's left alone for a while.
You follow Casari east.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Clearing]
Deep ruts in the road indicate where heavy carts loaded with logs trundled down south to Ratha, carrying away the forest. The bare stumps mark civilization, with all its good and evil. The woods to the north is still green and growing, but that won't likely last for long.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
Tall, broad elm trees cast deep, cool shadows on the ground. The road runs between the trees, straight enough to have been originally cut as a main road, rather than beginning as a winding track as do so many such thoroughfares. You also see a spreading elm tree.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
Moonlight filters down through the leafy branches of the elm trees, painting gentle flickers on the loamy ground and the flowers and shrubbery. Here and there stands a hewn off stump, marking where a tree has been felled, but for the most part the land here has been left in peace. Birds call from the branches, insects buzz about, and all is tranquil. You also see a towering elm tree.
Qetu takes a huge mouthful of a small mojito cupcake iced in a swirl of whipped cream topped by a candied mint leaf and gnaws heartily on it.
Qetu takes a huge mouthful of a small mojito cupcake iced in a swirl of whipped cream topped by a candied mint leaf and gnaws heartily on it.
Qetu finishes off his mojito cupcake.
[General] Your mind hears Casari thinking, "Getting exercise."
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
The rustle of leaves, the soughing of wind, and the tweetle-ee-ee-eep of birds all combine into a woodland symphony. Far in the background is a rhythmic crashing that might be the ocean, although it's barely at the threshold of perceptible sound.
You follow Casari east.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
The gravel road runs through a pleasant wood composed mostly of grand old elms, with a few other trees scattered throughout. Ferns grow around the bases of the trees, and shade-loving fuchsias thrive in the shadows. Some kind of insect makes a chitter-click-click sound in the background, although it's well enough hidden that it can't be seen. You also see a grand elm tree with a couple of thorny bird's homes nestled within its branches.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
Suckers have sprung up all around the stump of a tree, roughly hewn with an axe a year or two ago. In time the suckers will grow up into a ring of young trees, with the father stump decaying into a punky mound in the center. Insects swarm over the rotting wood, some eating it, some making their home in it, and others preying upon the rest. You also see a tall elm tree.
[General] Your mind hears Illiya thinking, "We are uh, certainly not lost"
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
Shady elms grow on either side of the trade road. The spreading trees cast shadows on the lower foliage, allowing ferns, columbines, fuchsias and other shade plants to flourish. Here and there a stump shows where a woodcutter has taken a tree, dragging off the trunk and leaving the trimmed branches to decay on the loamy ground.
You follow Casari north.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Gravel Pit]
A huge black pit opens up in the ground to the southeast side of the road. It's too dark to tell how deep it might be, but the vast, gaping maw might well go all the way down to the home of the world dragon, or so it seems.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Gravel Pit]
This lonely piece of road runs between a thin stretch of wood to the northwest and a dark, wide hole in the ground to the southeast. Ominous sounds come from both sides of the track, rustling and calling, with an occasional spine-shivering howl from the woods, and rattling and scrabbling sounds from the pit. Neither is terribly comforting on a cold, dark night.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Gravel Pit]
Gravel from the road goes rattling down into the pit every few minutes, returning to where it originally came from. The road here is wide enough to be safe, despite the nearness of the pit on one side, but the huge black maw is frightening enough to send one to travel as far over on the opposite side as possible.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Gravel Pit]
A dark pit opens up on the southeast side of the road. It's impossible to tell how deep it is, but in the darkness of the night it looks bottomless. The road runs perilously near the edge of the pit, and understandably most of the wheel ruts crowd the opposite side of the track, which runs near a wooded area.
You follow Casari east.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Slopes]
The road slopes gently down from the top of the plateau which comprises most of the southern end of the island. The view to the north is spectacular if the weather cooperates. Light glistens off the ocean to the north, east and west, all the way to the dim horizon, where the occasional sail is just visible.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Slopes]
The sloping ground is moist and fertile looking. A few trees grow here and there, but most of the vegetation here is lower, shrubs and grasses whose roots bind the soil and prevent it all from running down into the ocean. Mushrooms grow in odd patches of shade under bushes and next to rocks.
You follow Casari north.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Slopes]
A large granite boulder sits sentry on the side of the road. A small gap at its base is too dark to see into, but the crusted piles of dirt in a half-circle around it suggest that something inside is having an addition put onto the back of the house. The burrow has been cleverly placed on the downhill side of the boulder, so it's well sheltered from rain and water running down the slope.
You follow Casari north.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Slopes]
The road meanders up a gentle slope, past acres of wildflowers and aromatic shrubs set amidst a grassy meadow that just happens to be somewhat tilted. A cool, strong night breeze blows in from the ocean, just a mile or so west of here, carrying with it the scent of salt and the crashing of surf on rocks.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
The tiny leaves of birch trees shiver in the breeze, dancing against the background of their white and black trunks and greyish branches. Sassy bluejays perch on the branches overhead, chattering with each other and swooping down upon occasion to see if you've dropped anything tasty. Gravel combines with birch leaves and seed clusters to make the surface of the road crunchy. You also see Researcher Trelmik.
You follow Casari north.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
Birch trees grow sparsely here, and the undergrowth is mostly grass, with a few small flowers and an odd succulent or two. The sounds of the sea are clearly audible from this spot, as is the mournful call of the grey and black sea birds that swoop and circle overhead. The air smells very slightly of salt, when the wind is from the west.
You follow Casari north.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
The road here runs within a few hundred feet of the cliff overlooking Slo'Tami Bay. The sound of the surf below is plain, but twisted cypress trees block any view of the water. The underbrush is dense, impassable except perhaps with a work crew wielding pickaxes. A smaller road branches off to the east, curving around some trees and quickly out of sight. You also see a cypress tree.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
The trade road curves around the northeastern point of the bay. Cypresses press in on both sides, leaving scarcely room for two wagons to pass. The underbrush is woody, tangled and dense. No flowers grow nearby, nor even much grass save for a few yellowish tufts here and there. The sound of the waves crashing on the rocks below is quite loud, but the trees are too dense to allow a view of the water.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
The low spreading cypress trees cast deep shadows across the road. The shade promotes damp, and the gravel spread regularly on the road sinks down into the mud beneath quickly enough that the road is muddy more often than not. Birds screech and flap about in the dense foliage, but are only rarely seen overhead. The air smells of sea salt and bird droppings.
You follow Casari west.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
Voices can be heard over the crashing of the waves, male voices mostly, calling to each other and laughing. There must be a number of people about, somewhere on the bay side of the road, but the trees are impossible to see through, much less pass. Flickers of firelight shine through the foliage, and a general glow comes from what's probably right around the edge of the cliff.
You follow Casari west.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
Black and grey seabirds call and screech from an unpleasantly close distance. A pair of them have made a nest in the cypresses right off the path, and they go hysterical whenever someone passes by, no matter how quietly. Feathers, down and droppings litter the twigs and spot the ground, while forearm-long feathered bodies swoop back and forth across the road, complaining raucously.
You follow Casari west.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
The road hugs the edge of the bluffs here, forced right up to the brink by the twisted cypresses on the opposite side of the track. To the west the land runs down a shallow incline, the cliffs stretching not quite so high as they do to the east. The view to the southeast shows the Slo'Tami Cliffs in all their ruddy glory, while directly to the south and still over a hundred feet below lies the bay itself. You also see a maple tree.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Trade Road, Cliff Meadow]
Few trees grow here on the slopes. Tough grasses send fibrous roots into the soil where they cling tight against the gales which blow in off the ocean. An occasional cypress shrub raises its gnarled branches toward the sky, and here and there a low-growing patch of sea anemone spreads, its succulent leaves looking like green fruit spears, surrounding the fleshy purple and pink flowers which give the plant its name.
You follow Casari west.
[Trade Road, Cliff Meadow]
The road slopes up to the east as the land rises toward the Slo'Tami Cliffs which curve around the inside of the bay of the same name. A brisk wind smelling of salt and seaweed blows off the water, stirring the yellow fountains of grass and the bushes scattered about the meadow. Hardy daisies nod in the shifting air currents, and dry leaves rustle.
You follow Casari west.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
An open meadow spreads out to the north, bounded a few dozen yards away by a wooded area composed of what look like elms, birch, and an occasional oak. Flowers dot the meadow, in orange and yellow and white, along with a number of burrows of about the size to have been dug by rabbits.
You follow Casari west.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
The road curves away from the bay to the northwest and toward the cliffs to the east. It slopes very slightly to the south, and there are signs of water erosion in the ruts leading toward the cliff's edge. If one looks closely, it's apparent that the road used to run right where the drop-off is now, but the receding cliff forced whomever maintains the road to pull it back for safety's sake.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
An old cart wheel lies decaying by the side of the road. A short distance away the remains of half a dozen broken barrels litter the grass, their rusted hoops arcing up above their rotting staves. A patch of oats grows all around the spot where the junk is scattered, with a few smaller tufts nodding in the light wind to the east.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
A huge oak tree grows hard by the side of the road, its rough-barked branches spreading grandly toward the sky. The hooting of an owl is heard periodically, and fireflies swirl and dance in the night air, like a galaxy of stars come down to Elanthia to play.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
A few young oak trees, hardly more than bushes, grow in the meadow here. The grass grows green and lush away from them, though, decorated by purple alyssum and sweet-smelling pink and purple stock. An odd bowl-shaped depression in the center of the area is full of grass and flowers, but no trees grow there.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
Spreading bougainvillea vines snake across the ground, their blossoms like scarlet tissue resembling ruby rivers in the green grass. One birch tree is nearly covered with the vines, and although the effect is very beautiful, the tree is being smothered and will likely die within a few years. The grand old elms that border the meadow have likewise been trellised by climbing red roses, but these trees are old and established and seem to be bearing up well under the colorful invaders.
You follow Casari north.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
A large shadowed stone stands a few paces away from the road and near the indistinct border of the woods to the north. Rising solitary out of the grass, its appearance is ominous and harsh, the focus of all that is dark and deathly in the night.
[General] Your mind hears Gwenddolyn thinking, "covered in forge dust"
Casari prods a large stone with the tip of her finger.
Illiya points at a large stone.
(look stone)
The large stone is of red granite, cut and polished until it's smooth but not shining. It sits in the grass at the edge of the meadow, shaded by the tree branches overhead.
There appears to be something written on it.
[General] Your mind hears Chrysagon thinking, "sounds an interesting rescue"
A large stone reads:
Let all remember the unnamed heroes who stood here in the face of the riftspawn and gave their lives and their very souls to defend their village. Lost among the scores of other dead who were destroyed that day, we can only honor their cause and their sacrifice, since their names are lost to time.
Casari says, "That's a pretty good size stone."
Couri examines a large stone.
Tirost holds a large stone in both hands and closes his eyes in concentration.
Mazilyn examines a large stone.
Qetu just tried to pull a large stone.
Illiya asks, "How did the opening appear last time?"
Casari says, "It was just... visible."
Qetu traces a careful sigil in the air.
Illiya nods.
Qetu gestures.
Qetu's eyes darken a shade.
Ollythander ponders.
Casari says, "Let's keep walking for a moment and see if anything looks interesting."
Maraisel says, "I don't know. I'm not seeing quite the view of the sea I pictured from his description."
[General] Your mind hears Vendelt thinking, "I fare thee well"
Ollythander taps a large stone.
Ollythander knocks on a large stone.
Ollythander shrugs.
Ollythander pokes his finger at a large stone.
Illiya just touched a large stone.
Illiya holds a large stone in both hands and closes her eyes in concentration.
[General] Your mind hears Asildu thinking, "Not lost is ideal, but I can't say I'd be surprised if you are. My directions weren't as great as I'd have liked."
Illiya ponders.
Casari says, "Maybe back the other way? Let's walk slower this time."
You follow Casari south.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
Spreading bougainvillea vines snake across the ground, their blossoms like scarlet tissue resembling ruby rivers in the green grass. One birch tree is nearly covered with the vines, and although the effect is very beautiful, the tree is being smothered and will likely die within a few years. The grand old elms that border the meadow have likewise been trellised by climbing red roses, but these trees are old and established and seem to be bearing up well under the colorful invaders.
Illiya nods.
Tirost says, "We might try a little further, somewhere with a view of the sea."
You follow Casari southeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
A few young oak trees, hardly more than bushes, grow in the meadow here. The grass grows green and lush away from them, though, decorated by purple alyssum and sweet-smelling pink and purple stock. An odd bowl-shaped depression in the center of the area is full of grass and flowers, but no trees grow there.
You notice as a sand-hued lynx with a tufted black-tipped tail pads into the area.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
A huge oak tree grows hard by the side of the road, its rough-barked branches spreading grandly toward the sky. The hooting of an owl is heard periodically, and fireflies swirl and dance in the night air, like a galaxy of stars come down to Elanthia to play.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
An old cart wheel lies decaying by the side of the road. A short distance away the remains of half a dozen broken barrels litter the grass, their rusted hoops arcing up above their rotting staves. A patch of oats grows all around the spot where the junk is scattered, with a few smaller tufts nodding in the light wind to the east.
Maraisel nods at Tirost, obviously agreeing with his views.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
The road curves away from the bay to the northwest and toward the cliffs to the east. It slopes very slightly to the south, and there are signs of water erosion in the ruts leading toward the cliff's edge. If one looks closely, it's apparent that the road used to run right where the drop-off is now, but the receding cliff forced whomever maintains the road to pull it back for safety's sake.
Casari says, "I heard seabirds along the way."
[General] Your mind hears Gwenddolyn thinking, "that depends on who you got directions from. A ranger or a paladin"
You follow Casari east.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
An open meadow spreads out to the north, bounded a few dozen yards away by a wooded area composed of what look like elms, birch, and an occasional oak. Flowers dot the meadow, in orange and yellow and white, along with a number of burrows of about the size to have been dug by rabbits.
You follow Casari east.
[Trade Road, Cliff Meadow]
The road slopes up to the east as the land rises toward the Slo'Tami Cliffs which curve around the inside of the bay of the same name. A brisk wind smelling of salt and seaweed blows off the water, stirring the yellow fountains of grass and the bushes scattered about the meadow. Hardy daisies nod in the shifting air currents, and dry leaves rustle.
[General] Your mind hears Asildu thinking, "They got directions from a mind-muddled Bard."
You follow Casari east.
[Trade Road, Cliff Meadow]
Few trees grow here on the slopes. Tough grasses send fibrous roots into the soil where they cling tight against the gales which blow in off the ocean. An occasional cypress shrub raises its gnarled branches toward the sky, and here and there a low-growing patch of sea anemone spreads, its succulent leaves looking like green fruit spears, surrounding the fleshy purple and pink flowers which give the plant its name.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
The road hugs the edge of the bluffs here, forced right up to the brink by the twisted cypresses on the opposite side of the track. To the west the land runs down a shallow incline, the cliffs stretching not quite so high as they do to the east. The view to the southeast shows the Slo'Tami Cliffs in all their ruddy glory, while directly to the south and still over a hundred feet below lies the bay itself. You also see a maple tree.
[General] Your mind hears Ollythander thinking, "if nothing else we get to see places we've never seen before!"
[General] Your mind hears Harsh thinking, "I do not think I have ever once given great directions in all of the history of being asked for directions"
[General] Your mind hears Gwenddolyn thinking, "well their intent was to get a good tale to tell"
You follow Casari east.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
Black and grey seabirds call and screech from an unpleasantly close distance. A pair of them have made a nest in the cypresses right off the path, and they go hysterical whenever someone passes by, no matter how quietly. Feathers, down and droppings litter the twigs and spot the ground, while forearm-long feathered bodies swoop back and forth across the road, complaining raucously.
[General] Your mind hears Asildu thinking, "Though, if those above ask, I had nothing to do with it."
[General] Your mind hears Stelling thinking, "I did not provide any directions, for the record"
Illiya taps something inside the cypresses.
A loud, nasal "Awwwwk!" batters your ears from a frighteningly short range. You jerk your head in the direction it came from just in time to see an angry looking grey head vanish back into the cypress.
Casari asks, "Noisy, aren't they?"
Illiya taps the cypresses.
Tirost says to Casari, "Bold, coming from you."
[General] Your mind hears Chrysagon thinking, "who are we dragging"
Tirost grins at Casari.
Maraisel says to Tirost, "I wouldn't tempt her to push you when we're so near a cliff."
Casari searches around for a moment.
Illiya says, "I feel like we must be close."
Illiya flashes a quick grin at Maraisel.
Ollythander ponders.
You follow Casari east.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
Voices can be heard over the crashing of the waves, male voices mostly, calling to each other and laughing. There must be a number of people about, somewhere on the bay side of the road, but the trees are impossible to see through, much less pass. Flickers of firelight shine through the foliage, and a general glow comes from what's probably right around the edge of the cliff.
Tirost grins at Maraisel.
Casari searches around for a moment.
Firehawk Casari's group went through a narrow gap.
[Bay Cliffs, Trail]
This narrow trail through the woods is barely wide enough to walk sideways if you're bigger than a Dwarf. Leaves obscure the line of sight in all directions, and branches and twigs poke from all sides. Flying, crawling and hopping bugs are much closer than is comfortable, and there's no way to avoid them short of just leaving. The foliage is denser to the south, but there are voices coming from that direction.
You follow Casari south.
[Bay Cliffs, Monument]
The trees and bushes have been cleared away from the rim of the cliff. Halfway between the edge of the woods and the edge of the precipice stands a tall bronze monument. A couple of young men are lounging around and chatting near torches stuck in the grass. You also see a stone mortar, an ilmenite runestone, some yelith root, some wood glue, a flask of oil, a dark azurite runestone, a blue-purple wool dress, some riolur leaves and a huge rock projecting over the edge of the cliff, on which a group of young people are standing and chatting.
Ollythander pokes his finger at a huge rock projecting over the edge of the cliff, on which a group of young people are standing and chatting.
Qetu went up a huge rock projecting over the edge of the cliff, on which a group of young people are standing and chatting.
Tirost holds a huge rock projecting over the edge of the cliff, on which a group of young people are standing and chatting in both hands and closes his eyes in concentration.
[Bay Cliffs, Projecting Rock]
The granite of the cliff thrusts out over the water, projecting far enough to give a clear view of the bluegreen water and jagged rocks directly below. The young men and women here on the rock are all very wet, which is odd considering the only source of water is a truly appalling distance away, straight down. You also see a patch of grass near the woods, where a couple of youngsters are lounging and chatting.
Firehawk Casari's group came across a patch of grass near the woods, where a couple of youngsters are lounging and chatting.
Qetu joins Casari's group.
Maraisel joins Casari's group.
Casari searches around for a moment.
Ollythander asks in a polished accent, "Whoooo don't look down am I right?"
Ollythander laughs!
Casari says, "Well, it's definitely a cliff."
Illiya grins at Ollythander, her dimples flashing into view.
Tirost says, "He said it was away from people, I think."
Couri nods to Tirost.
Maraisel nods in agreement.
Casari says, "Let's try back the other way, I guess."
Firehawk Casari's group went over to a patch of grass near the woods, where a couple of youngsters are lounging and chatting.
[Bay Cliffs, Monument]
The trees and bushes have been cleared away from the rim of the cliff. Halfway between the edge of the woods and the edge of the precipice stands a tall bronze monument. A couple of young men are lounging around and chatting near torches stuck in the grass. You also see a stone mortar, an ilmenite runestone, some yelith root, some wood glue, a flask of oil, a dark azurite runestone, a blue-purple wool dress and a huge rock projecting over the edge of the cliff, on which a group of young people are standing and chatting.
Firehawk Casari's group went up a huge rock projecting over the edge of the cliff, on which a group of young people are standing and chatting.
[Bay Cliffs, Projecting Rock]
The granite of the cliff thrusts out over the water, projecting far enough to give a clear view of the bluegreen water and jagged rocks directly below. The young men and women here on the rock are all very wet, which is odd considering the only source of water is a truly appalling distance away, straight down. You also see a sand-hued lynx with a tufted black-tipped tail, a russet lynx and a patch of grass near the woods, where a couple of youngsters are lounging and chatting.
Firehawk Casari's group went over to a patch of grass near the woods, where a couple of youngsters are lounging and chatting.
[Bay Cliffs, Monument]
The trees and bushes have been cleared away from the rim of the cliff. Halfway between the edge of the woods and the edge of the precipice stands a tall bronze monument. A couple of young men are lounging around and chatting near torches stuck in the grass. You also see a stone mortar, an ilmenite runestone, some yelith root, some wood glue, a flask of oil, a dark azurite runestone, a blue-purple wool dress and a huge rock projecting over the edge of the cliff, on which a group of young people are standing and chatting.
You follow Casari north.
[Bay Cliffs, Trail]
This narrow trail through the woods is barely wide enough to walk sideways if you're bigger than a Dwarf. Leaves obscure the line of sight in all directions, and branches and twigs poke from all sides. Flying, crawling and hopping bugs are much closer than is comfortable, and there's no way to avoid them short of just leaving. The foliage is denser to the south, but there are voices coming from that direction.
You follow Casari north.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
Voices can be heard over the crashing of the waves, male voices mostly, calling to each other and laughing. There must be a number of people about, somewhere on the bay side of the road, but the trees are impossible to see through, much less pass. Flickers of firelight shine through the foliage, and a general glow comes from what's probably right around the edge of the cliff.
You follow Casari west.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
Black and grey seabirds call and screech from an unpleasantly close distance. A pair of them have made a nest in the cypresses right off the path, and they go hysterical whenever someone passes by, no matter how quietly. Feathers, down and droppings litter the twigs and spot the ground, while forearm-long feathered bodies swoop back and forth across the road, complaining raucously.
You follow Casari west.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
The road hugs the edge of the bluffs here, forced right up to the brink by the twisted cypresses on the opposite side of the track. To the west the land runs down a shallow incline, the cliffs stretching not quite so high as they do to the east. The view to the southeast shows the Slo'Tami Cliffs in all their ruddy glory, while directly to the south and still over a hundred feet below lies the bay itself. You also see a maple tree.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Trade Road, Cliff Meadow]
Few trees grow here on the slopes. Tough grasses send fibrous roots into the soil where they cling tight against the gales which blow in off the ocean. An occasional cypress shrub raises its gnarled branches toward the sky, and here and there a low-growing patch of sea anemone spreads, its succulent leaves looking like green fruit spears, surrounding the fleshy purple and pink flowers which give the plant its name.
You follow Casari west.
[Trade Road, Cliff Meadow]
The road slopes up to the east as the land rises toward the Slo'Tami Cliffs which curve around the inside of the bay of the same name. A brisk wind smelling of salt and seaweed blows off the water, stirring the yellow fountains of grass and the bushes scattered about the meadow. Hardy daisies nod in the shifting air currents, and dry leaves rustle.
You follow Casari west.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
An open meadow spreads out to the north, bounded a few dozen yards away by a wooded area composed of what look like elms, birch, and an occasional oak. Flowers dot the meadow, in orange and yellow and white, along with a number of burrows of about the size to have been dug by rabbits.
You follow Casari west.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
The road curves away from the bay to the northwest and toward the cliffs to the east. It slopes very slightly to the south, and there are signs of water erosion in the ruts leading toward the cliff's edge. If one looks closely, it's apparent that the road used to run right where the drop-off is now, but the receding cliff forced whomever maintains the road to pull it back for safety's sake.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
An old cart wheel lies decaying by the side of the road. A short distance away the remains of half a dozen broken barrels litter the grass, their rusted hoops arcing up above their rotting staves. A patch of oats grows all around the spot where the junk is scattered, with a few smaller tufts nodding in the light wind to the east.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
A huge oak tree grows hard by the side of the road, its rough-barked branches spreading grandly toward the sky. The hooting of an owl is heard periodically, and fireflies swirl and dance in the night air, like a galaxy of stars come down to Elanthia to play.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
A few young oak trees, hardly more than bushes, grow in the meadow here. The grass grows green and lush away from them, though, decorated by purple alyssum and sweet-smelling pink and purple stock. An odd bowl-shaped depression in the center of the area is full of grass and flowers, but no trees grow there.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
Spreading bougainvillea vines snake across the ground, their blossoms like scarlet tissue resembling ruby rivers in the green grass. One birch tree is nearly covered with the vines, and although the effect is very beautiful, the tree is being smothered and will likely die within a few years. The grand old elms that border the meadow have likewise been trellised by climbing red roses, but these trees are old and established and seem to be bearing up well under the colorful invaders.
You follow Casari north.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
A large shadowed stone stands a few paces away from the road and near the indistinct border of the woods to the north. Rising solitary out of the grass, its appearance is ominous and harsh, the focus of all that is dark and deathly in the night.
You follow Casari north.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
Mature old trees grow on either side of the trade road, spreading oaks and sturdy elms and graceful birches. The woods are well tended, with little underbrush clogging the ground between the treetrunks. But sweet green grass grows, and shy, shade-loving plants. Nodding columbines thrive in the shadows, their gracefully spurred blooms nodding above their pretty clover-like foliage. Dainty violets peep out of nooks and crannies, while pink stock perfumes the air.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
A dark mound grows up against a sturdy elm, seemingly about to engulf its trunk. The mound quivers and rustles, its reaching arms trembling. The wind blowing off the ocean might explain the movement, but somehow the rhythm of the shaking seems wrong. You also see a baleful oak tree with worm-infested branches.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
One of the huge elms has fallen to the southwest of the road, taking other trees with it on the way down. The scorched wood seems to indicate a lightning strike. The open space gives a clear if narrow view of the beach, and the ocean beyond it. A few saplings have grown up around their dead elders, but it will be some time before the view is completely obstructed once more, and for right now this is a pleasant place for travellers to catch their breath and enjoy the scenery.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
The grass shivers in waves on the ground as the breeze from the ocean passes over it. A ring of little brown-capped mushrooms is set in the shade of a tree, like a council room for tiny fae, gathered to discuss a coming moonlight dance or the flavor of this season's honeydew. You also see a tall oak tree strung with garlands of thistle and amber-hued gaethzen orbs.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
Elms, oaks and birches grow sturdy and well spaced here in the dark woods. Points of glowing light hover and drift and zip about in an eerie display, while owls hoot their hunger on their nightly hunt. You also see an open roadblock.
Illiya lays her hand on Mazilyn's arm.
Illiya lays her hand on Ollythander's arm.
Illiya lays her hand on Couri's arm.
Casari appears to be listening intently for something.
Illiya lays her hand on Ezerak's arm.
Mazilyn beams at Illiya!
Casari says, "I bet that's where the drakes are."
Illiya lays her hand on Qetu's arm.
Illiya nods.
Casari asks, "But it wasn't supposed to be with the drakes, right?"
Couri nods to Casari.
Illiya says, "It is."
Illiya exudes life and vitality, rutilant sparks dancing around her.
Ezerak says, "Volcano that way."
Illiya says, "He said the entrance was safe."
Illiya ponders.
Maraisel nods.
Illiya says, "But there was danger nearby."
Casari says, "All right, well... everyone hold onto something."
Casari says, "If I see any drakes, I'll turn us around."
Tirost moves over to guard Ollythander.
Firehawk Casari's group went through an open roadblock.
[Pivilho Volcano, Base Route]
Large boulders of weathered ignimbrite dot the mountain face, and though the footing is precarious, the ground is partially hard packed by the traffic of local wildlife. Scrub tenuously grows in what little shelter can be found, tufts of fur and feather mixing with the occasional scale in the clinging bushes. You also see an open roadblock.
Qetu moves over to guard Couri.
Illiya lays her hand on Maraisel’s arm.
Illiya lays her hand on Casari's arm.
Tirost says to Ollythander, "They cast spells, so I won't truly be able to protect you, if you're attacked."
(Mazilyn hides behind Olly)
You follow Casari northeast.
[Pivilho Volcano, Base Route]
The bleached remains of a large ram are scattered along the pathway, heavily pitted from the warm sea breeze and elements. Several cracks spider along the nearby boulders, and large chips of stone littering the area primarily around the skeletal form suggest the creature did not go down without a fight. A swath of rippled igneous rock forms a causeway that has long since cooled and been worn down by the passing wildlife. Seabirds soar offshore, coasting on the rising thermals and occasionally diving for the waters. A ravine continues up the volcano.
Qetu draws forth a serrated Imperial spear with a diamondwood haft.
Ollythander nods to Tirost.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I understand."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I'll do my best to not die."
Illiya says, "If anyone needs help, call out."
Tirost smiles at Ollythander.
Ollythander nods.
Maraisel says, "If anyone dies, I can help."
Couri gets an icesteel scimitar with a lapis lazuli hilt from inside her deep crimson haversack.
Illiya says, "I will try and not let anyone die."
Ollythander says to Tirost in a polished accent, "I also understand the risk involved with coming along."
Firehawk Casari's group entered a ravine.
[Pivilho Volcano, Fellgust Vale]
Naturally carved from millennia of rain and harsh winds, a wide valley cuts almost straight up the side of the volcano. Nearly constant gusts of hot, humid air stream downward bringing noxious fumes reeking of sulfur. A thin trickle of muddy water runs along the center of the valley, swirling with a thick yellow slime. Bushes grow along the edges of the valley and the cliff walls, a significant distance from the slow stream. A narrow path leads towards the base route.
Ollythander ponders.
Tirost says to Ollythander, "You've got courage, young knight."
You follow Casari north.
[Pivilho Volcano, Fellgust Vale]
The valley curves slightly here, catching the prevailing ocean trade winds, and strong gusts push down the valley, mixing faintly with the ever present volcanic fumes. Clinging bushes rustle along the valley walls, and a few stunted trees sprout along the cliff edges. The ground is churned, crisscrossed by claw marks and littered with fractured stone shards.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting her descent with a powerful flap of her wings which she quickly furls to her sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting her descent with a powerful flap of her wings which she quickly furls to her sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting her descent with a powerful flap of her wings which she quickly furls to her sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting her descent with a powerful flap of her wings which she quickly furls to her sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting her descent with a powerful flap of her wings which she quickly furls to her sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The gale drake spreads its wings and turns in a quick circle, drawing the winds into a swirling mass around her.
The gale drake begins to advance on Mazilyn.
Ollythander grins at Tirost.
The gale drake spreads its wings and turns in a quick circle, drawing the winds into a swirling mass around her.
The gale drake begins to advance on Couri.
You follow Casari south.
[Pivilho Volcano, Fellgust Vale]
Naturally carved from millennia of rain and harsh winds, a wide valley cuts almost straight up the side of the volcano. Nearly constant gusts of hot, humid air stream downward bringing noxious fumes reeking of sulfur. A thin trickle of muddy water runs along the center of the valley, swirling with a thick yellow slime. Bushes grow along the edges of the valley and the cliff walls, a significant distance from the slow stream. A narrow path leads towards the base route. You also see a sand-hued lynx with a tufted black-tipped tail and a gale drake.
Qetu hurls a serrated Imperial spear with a diamondwood haft at a gale drake. The spear lands a hard hit (5/23) to his right arm!
The Imperial spear lodges itself shallowly into the gale drake!
The gale drake spreads its wings and turns in a quick circle, drawing the winds into a swirling mass around him.
The gale drake begins to advance on Couri.
Firehawk Casari's group went up a narrow path.
[Pivilho Volcano, Base Route]
The bleached remains of a large ram are scattered along the pathway, heavily pitted from the warm sea breeze and elements. Several cracks spider along the nearby boulders, and large chips of stone littering the area primarily around the skeletal form suggest the creature did not go down without a fight. A swath of rippled igneous rock forms a causeway that has long since cooled and been worn down by the passing wildlife. Seabirds soar offshore, coasting on the rising thermals and occasionally diving for the waters. A ravine continues up the volcano.
Casari says, "Well, that's definitely not it."
Illiya flashes a quick grin at Casari.
Tirost just touched some smooth rocks.
Ollythander says to Tirost in a polished accent, "I'm just worried about someone who needs help. My courage is irrelevant."
Ezerak chuckles.
Ollythander winks at Tirost.
Couri says, "I die well, nae worried."
Illiya taps a ravine.
Maraisel asks, "What's beyond the drakes? Anything?"
Casari says, "That's where we saw the drakes."
Illiya nods.
Casari says, "I suppose he could have been wrong about it being safe."
Illiya says, "Magma cobras I think."
Casari says, "I can sing a song to calm them, but it's not perfect."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I can put down a banner, but they will almost assuridly resist it."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I think if I get a banner down BEFORE they arrive it'd work."
Tirost says, "A few of us could go ahead."
Ollythander ponders.
[General] Your mind hears Asildu thinking, "That does sound familiar."
Tirost says, "And return to take people further if we find anything."
Qetu came out of a ravine.
Qetu goes southwest.
Illiya nods in agreement.
Qetu just arrived.
Casari asks Qetu, "All right?"
Couri enfolds Qetu in a warm embrace.
Qetu says in a measured accent, "Sorry."
Qetu says in a measured accent, "They teach well."
Qetu joins Casari's group.
Tirost says, "I asked him if he remembered a volcano, and he said it sounded familiar."
Illiya chortles softly at some secret joke.
Ollythander nods.
Casari says, "All right, let's try it. Anyone who isn't willing to risk it, probably stay here for a moment."
Ollythander left the group.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I can hang tight for a bit."
Mazilyn covers her eyes with her hand.
Casari says, "I'll begin the enchante when we see drakes."
Couri moves an icesteel scimitar with a lapis lazuli hilt to her right hand.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "Just come back and get me if you find something."
Casari says, "Moving in five."
Tirost says, "Let me know before you move."
Tirost grins.
Mazilyn joins Ollythander's group.
Casari says, "Here we go."
Mazilyn nods to Ollythander.
Firehawk Casari's group entered a ravine.
[Pivilho Volcano, Fellgust Vale]
Naturally carved from millennia of rain and harsh winds, a wide valley cuts almost straight up the side of the volcano. Nearly constant gusts of hot, humid air stream downward bringing noxious fumes reeking of sulfur. A thin trickle of muddy water runs along the center of the valley, swirling with a thick yellow slime. Bushes grow along the edges of the valley and the cliff walls, a significant distance from the slow stream. A narrow path leads towards the base route.
You follow Casari north.
[Pivilho Volcano, Fellgust Vale]
The valley curves slightly here, catching the prevailing ocean trade winds, and strong gusts push down the valley, mixing faintly with the ever present volcanic fumes. Clinging bushes rustle along the valley walls, and a few stunted trees sprout along the cliff edges. The ground is churned, crisscrossed by claw marks and littered with fractured stone shards.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Pivilho Volcano, Fellgust Vale]
The valley branches here, bifurcating around a large outcropping. Scoured by the winds and lashed with burn marks, the structure is heavily pocked and crumbling. Merging as they are funneled around the rock, strong gusts of noxious wind howl and whip about chaotically.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Pivilho Volcano, Fellgust Vale]
The air is powerfully charged with static, dry as a bone and sheltered from the sea breeze. Quartz tinged with cinnabar and lapis lazuli deposits in the ravine wall occasionally flicker with a faint blue as they discharge sparkling electricity. Large claw marks rake the walls and ground.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Pivilho Volcano, Fellgust Vale]
The stream widens here, creating several pools lined with yellow-grey rings of accumulated sulfur deposits and salts. These delicate rings demark bands of red and yellow, which deepen to greens and dark cerulean as the pools grow deeper. Constantly churned by the strong winds, the waters within the pools are murky and bubble continuously as they are heated from below. The air stinks of rotten eggs and worse.
You follow Casari southwest.
[Pivilho Volcano, Fellgust Vale]
Rough boulders and chunks of stone torn from the walls of the ravine are scattered haphazardly, held in place by a muddy trickle of stinking water. Large nests made of shredded timber and scrub packed with assorted bones peak over caves dug into the ravine walls. The wind howls along the valley, buffeting the nests. An open reinforced wooden barricade allows passage further up the ravine.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting her descent with a powerful flap of her wings which she quickly furls to her sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting her descent with a powerful flap of her wings which she quickly furls to her sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting her descent with a powerful flap of her wings which she quickly furls to her sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting her descent with a powerful flap of her wings which she quickly furls to her sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting her descent with a powerful flap of her wings which she quickly furls to her sides.
The gale drake crashes down from above, arresting her descent with a powerful flap of her wings which she quickly furls to her sides.
The gale drake spreads its wings and turns in a quick circle, drawing the winds into a swirling mass around him.
The gale drake begins to advance on Tirost.
The gale drake spreads its wings and turns in a quick circle, drawing the winds into a swirling mass around him.
The gale drake begins to advance on Couri.
Casari briefly spreads her arms outward and begins humming. The volume quickly rises as punctuated rhythms form in the spaces between the tones.
The gale drake spreads its wings and turns in a quick circle, drawing the winds into a swirling mass around her.
The gale drake begins to advance on Couri.
The gale drake spreads its wings and turns in a quick circle, drawing the winds into a swirling mass around her.
The gale drake begins to advance on Qetu.
The gale drake begins to advance on Couri.
The strong notes of Casari's enchante fall from her lips in a light, skipping rhythm that is almost chanted, punctuated by sustained vocalizations at the end of each phrase.
The gale drake tastes the air with her tongue and tilts her head in curiosity.
The gale drake tastes the air with her tongue and tilts her head in curiosity.
The gale drake tastes the air with his tongue and tilts his head in curiosity.
The gale drake swiftly bounds northeast in search of new prey.
The gale drake tastes the air with her tongue and tilts her head in curiosity.
Casari says, "Quiet, you."
The gale drake tastes the air with her tongue and tilts her head in curiosity.
The gale drake tastes the air with his tongue and tilts his head in curiosity.
The gale drake tastes the air with his tongue and tilts his head in curiosity.
Firehawk Casari's group went through a reinforced barricade.
[Pivilho Volcano, Summit Pathway]
Set into a bermed nook, a simple wooden lean-to provides shelter against the elements, and affords travelers an opportunity to rest in the shade. The andesite ground is faintly rippled and scoured from the elements. The track continues to the north, curving around a bend and an open reinforced wooden barricade allows passage back down to the vale while a steep, narrow path leads to a rocky ledge. You also see a hurricane drake which appears dead, a hurricane drake and a hurricane drake.
You follow Casari north.
[Pivilho Volcano, Summit Pathway]
Revealed by weathering, thin hexagonal columnar joints form an outcropping on an otherwise effectively sheer face. Carved steps allow for an easy climb up to a series of quarried platforms set into the cliff. The air smells of sulfur and hot ash. You also see a hurricane drake.
The hurricane drake crashes down from above, arresting her descent with a powerful flap of her wings which she quickly furls to her sides.
The hurricane drake crashes down from above, arresting her descent with a powerful flap of her wings which she quickly furls to her sides.
The hurricane drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The hurricane drake crashes down from above, arresting her descent with a powerful flap of her wings which she quickly furls to her sides.
The hurricane drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The hurricane drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The hurricane drake spreads its wings and turns in a quick circle, drawing the winds into a swirling mass around him.
The hurricane drake begins to advance on Couri.
The hurricane drake spreads its wings and turns in a quick circle, drawing the winds into a swirling mass around him.
The hurricane drake begins to advance on Casari.
The hurricane drake spreads its wings and turns in a quick circle, drawing the winds into a swirling mass around her.
The hurricane drake begins to advance on Ezerak.
You follow Casari up.
[Pivilho Volcano, Cliff Face]
Carved into the rock face, the columnar basalt has been rough hewn, resulting in numerous deep seated platforms. Littered with large bones and lined with blackened fulgurite nodules spidering along the stone, the space appears to provide rest for more than just climbers scaling the cliff. Further down the volcano, the waves beat against a black sand beach. You also see a hurricane drake, a hurricane drake, a hurricane drake, a hurricane drake and a hurricane drake.
You follow Casari up.
[Pivilho Volcano, Cliff Edge]
A largely flat and even surface set into the volcano marks a short, rough plain. Haphazard boulders are scattered around, shattered as if dropped from great height. Heavy winds have swept the area of smaller debris, revealing hexagonal jointing with largely even elevation, exacting lines abruptly ending with the cliff edge. The height and unobstructed view affords an excellent vantage of the ocean. You also see a hurricane drake, a hurricane drake, a hurricane drake, a hurricane drake and a hurricane drake.
The hurricane drake spreads its wings and turns in a quick circle, drawing the winds into a swirling mass around him.
The hurricane drake begins to advance on Maraisel.
The hurricane drake spreads its wings and turns in a quick circle, drawing the winds into a swirling mass around her.
The hurricane drake begins to advance on Qetu.
You follow Casari west.
[Pivilho Volcano, Cliff Edge]
A tall menhir made of weathered marble overlooks the ocean view and is set neatly between the hexagonal lines of the columnar ground. Seabirds soar along the coast and the littoral waves are battered by the prevailing winds and tides. The ground is swept clean, ending abruptly at the cliff's edge. You also see a hurricane drake, a narrow crack, a hurricane drake, a hurricane drake and a hurricane drake.
The hurricane drake spreads its wings and turns in a quick circle, drawing the winds into a swirling mass around him.
The hurricane drake begins to advance on Couri.
The hurricane drake tastes the air with his tongue and tilts his head in curiosity.
The hurricane drake swiftly bounds in, energy crackling along her tail.
You follow Casari northeast.
[Pivilho Volcano, Rockslide Plain]
Set into the volcano's side, the flat plain appears to be caused by a rockslide, though the area has been largely cleared of debris. The area is dotted with several large nests composed of thick branches and shredded wood. The ground and wall face are crisscrossed with black and green glassy fulgurite spikes and droplets. You also see a hurricane drake, a fumarole opening, a hurricane drake, a hurricane drake and a hurricane drake.
[General] Your mind hears Gwenddolyn thinking, "It also depends on what exactly you are trying to find and where you last recall it being"
You follow Casari southwest.
[Pivilho Volcano, Cliff Edge]
A tall menhir made of weathered marble overlooks the ocean view and is set neatly between the hexagonal lines of the columnar ground. Seabirds soar along the coast and the littoral waves are battered by the prevailing winds and tides. The ground is swept clean, ending abruptly at the cliff's edge. You also see a russet lynx, a hurricane drake that appears rather calm, a narrow crack, a hurricane drake that appears rather calm, a hurricane drake that appears rather calm, a hurricane drake that appears rather calm and a hurricane drake.
The hurricane drake swiftly bounds in, energy crackling along her tail.
Inside the Ancient Cave
Firehawk Casari's group went through a narrow crack.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
Damp ocean air condenses along the surfaces of the ceiling, walls and floor of this odd pathway, though does not make its way further. Old stone lines the surfaces of this odd hallway, interrupted by a bloom of algae or lichen that grows between the joints and upon previous generations, slowly expanding as far as the available moisture permits. The masonry is of an immaculate form you do not recognize, each block a different size and cut that somehow merge together in a mosaic of impressively fitting, and impressively smooth surfaces, without any mortar. The air is dry, and an odd charge can be felt deeper ahead. You also see a narrow crack.
Casari says, "Well."
Illiya asks, "Is this it?"
Casari says, "This looks promising."
Casari says, "Safe my butt."
Illiya says, "He said the entrance would be safe and that was so wrong."
Illiya laughs!
Tirost laughs softly, trying to hide his amusement.
Ezerak grins at Casari, his dimples flashing into view.
Qetu says in a measured accent, "Its safe here."
Illiya says, "It was not safe outside here."
Casari asks, "Can anyone fetch the others and bring them back here safely?"
Illiya lays her hand on Tirost's arm.
Illiya lays her hand on Couri's arm.
Illiya lays her hand on Ezerak's arm.
Illiya lays her hand on Maraisel’s arm.
Illiya lays her hand on Qetu's arm.
Tirost puts his cube in his sling bag.
Illiya lays her hand on Casari's arm.
Tirost says, "I'll look for him."
Knight of Meraud Tirost drifts southeast.
Qetu sheathes his Imperial spear.
Casari says, "Tirost has a bad sense of direction."
Knight of Meraud Tirost just arrived.
Casari points at a narrow crack.
Casari says to Tirost, "That's where you wanted to go."
Casari says, "We'll wait."
Tirost says, "There's a floating knife down there."
Casari seems to be waiting for something.
Illiya asks, "Shouldn't we get the others before we go on?"
Tirost nods.
Knight of Meraud Tirost went through a narrow crack.
Illiya ponders.
Illiya says, "I wonder if he needs help."
Knight of Meraud Tirost came through a narrow crack.
Tirost shakes his head.
Illiya peers quizzically at Tirost.
Tirost says, "Couldn't find them."
Illiya ponders.
Illiya asks, "They weren't waiting outside?"
Casari asks, "Did you find your way back to the path?"
Tirost says, "I went south well past the drake hunting grounds."
Tirost says, "But I don't know the area well. I may have missed them."
Mountain Lord Ezerak went through a narrow crack.
Mountain Lord Ezerak's group came through a narrow crack.
Ollythander laughs!
Casari says to Ezerak, "Good work, Lieutenant."
Mazilyn joins Casari's group.
Tirost smiles.
Casari asks Ezerak to join her group, but Ezerak declines.
Ollythander joins Casari's group.
Ezerak joins Casari's group.
Mazilyn praises Ezerak.
Casari says, "Nooow we'll press on."
Ollythander nods.
Casari says, "Don't touch anything."
You follow Casari southeast.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
The air is curiously dry, though it is unclear how or why. The sound of water dripping can be heard towards the pathway entrance, though no water or moisture has made it even this far into the pathway. The stone surfaces of the hallway continue on, arcing gently downward, and an odd charge can be felt deeper ahead.
Ollythander exclaims in a polished accent, "I won't do anything without permission!"
You follow Casari southeast.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
The air is curiously dry, though it is unclear how or why. The stone appears to repel all contaminates, the surface utterly free of dust or moisture. The hallway continue on, arcing gently downward, and an tingling charge can be felt deeper ahead.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
The air is curiously dry, seeming to pull all water. The stone appears to repel all contaminates, the surface utterly free of dust or moisture. The hallway continues on, arcing downward, and an buzzing charge can be felt deeper ahead.
(Ollythander puts his hands in his pockets)
Knight of Meraud Tirost just arrived.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
The air is curiously dry, seeming to pull all water. The stone appears to repel all contaminates, the surface utterly free of dust or moisture. The hallway continues on, arcing downward, and an buzzing charge can be felt deeper ahead.
Casari adds Tirost to her group.
Mazilyn exclaims to Ollythander, "Permission to do things!"
You follow Casari down.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
The air is curiously dry, pulling all water. The stone is bone dry as well, the surface utterly free of dust or moisture. The stone surfaces of the hallway continue on, arcing downward, and a grating buzzing charge can be felt deeper ahead.
Couri says, "Feels strange."
Ezerak rubs his head.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I will now do all the things."
You follow Casari down.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
The air is curiously dry, pulling all water. The stone is bone dry as well, the surface utterly free of dust or moisture. The stone surfaces of the hallway continue on, arcing downward, and an unpleasant buzzing charge can be felt deeper ahead.
Casari says, "I hate these places."
Casari says, "At least we can talk here."
Ezerak nods at Casari, obviously agreeing with her views.
You follow Casari down.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
The air is curiously dry, pulling all water, stinging your nostrils and eyes. The stone is bone dry as well, the surface utterly free of dust or moisture. The stone surfaces of the hallway continue on, arcing downward, and an unpleasant buzzing charge can be felt deeper ahead.
Maraisel nods at Casari, obviously agreeing with her views.
Ollythander nods.
Illiya says, "Very creepy."
You follow Casari down.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
The air is almost painfully dry, pulling all water, stinging your nostrils, eyes, and throat. The stone is bone dry as well, the surface utterly free of dust or moisture. The stone surfaces of the hallway continue on, arcing downward, and a disorienting thrumming charge can be felt deeper ahead.
Casari asks, "How deep is this?"
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I recommend if we're trying to stop, throwing up a Banner, as a just in case..."
You follow Casari down.
[Ancient Cave, Lodestone Chamber]
The stonework appears to spiral outward from a central point, a whorl of finely mortared masonry that radiates around the room and up the pathway. A short plinth terminates in a set of metallic pinchers, which cradles a floating steel knife. There is a constant pressure to the air, an energized crackle that seems to pull at all metallic objects.
Ollythander ponders.
Tirost frowns.
Ezerak says to Casari, "This deep."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "Something is pulling at my armor though."
Casari says, "Right. That."
Casari's eyes glaze over slightly as she seems momentarily unaware of her surroundings. Only moments pass before she snaps back to the present.
Illiya asks, "How did someone die last time? Touching it?"
(look knife)
Etched along the flat of the blade is a thin line of symbols written in a tight script. The hilt is a simple twist of copper, and the edge blurs beyond your focus. You believe you could STUDY it to learn more.
Casari says, "Oh, wow. Yes... definitely memories here."
(study knife)
As you take a closer look, you are certain you could PUSH the knife to test its heft, SHOVE it to knock it off the suspension field, and RUB it to test the edge. The knife feels impossibly ancient, and you are unsure what to make of it.
Qetu says in a measured accent, "I am going to study it."
Ezerak nods at Casari, obviously agreeing with her views.
(Bardic Evoke)
You focus on your surroundings, seeking any impressions of the past.
Three stand before a dying star that burns with cold white light, and three reach as one into the star's depths and pull forth a mass of darkness, causing the star to whimper and die, dissipating into whorls of gas. One of the three holds the mass aloft, and strikes with the edge of His palm, flaking off a long, thin, screaming shard, the rest of the mass crushed into nothingness as an afterthought.
The next of the three carves a single line of strange script into the shards surface with Her red and gold lacquered nails.
The material seeks nothingness, but the last of the three narrows Her silver eyes upon it and scrapes an edge along one side, squeezing Her fist and forming a hilt to accompany the reluctant blade. She holds the knife aloft, and with a gentle swing, rends a slice in space, a dazzling open wound in reality through which shines a blinding light.
The three nod to one another and as one, turn to you, and as one, smile with immense cruelty.
With a start, you find yourself drawn back to the reality of the here and now.
Maraisel asks Casari, "What do you sense?"
Casari says, "It's like before. The three of them building it together."
Maraisel glances at a steel knife.
(focus knife)
You focus your magical senses on a steel knife.
The knife is completely devoid of any magical energy.
It snags on something unseen, tilting slightly as a mote of nothingness is cleanly severed, the slightest flicker of light marking the passage. The edge beckons, and your thumb itches oddly.
The whispers come from far, far away, and you cannot hear them.
You blink. That was odd.
Casari says, "And their hatred is... palpable."
Qetu examines the knife and suddenly his thumb falls to the ground, and blood begins to pour from his hand!
(rub knife)
You step forward and carefully run your thumb perpendicular to the edge. A whisper thin section of skin peels across the knife's edge, fingerprints intact. The script twists and the knife sings, snapping forward a fraction of an inch, and your thumb falls to the ground. You gasp in surprise and lurch backwards, feeling warm blood pouring from your hand.
Illiya nods to Casari.
Ollythander ponders.
Illiya lays her hand on Qetu's arm.
Ollythander asks Mazilyn in a polished accent, "Is that what that pressure is?"
Couri glances at Qetu.
Ezerak says, "That's what happens when you touch things."
Mazilyn looks at Ollythander and shrugs.
Casari says, "Okay, I know everyone's curious, but... frankly, we're here to break this thing."
Ezerak appears to be trying hard not to grin.
Qetu says in a measured accent, "Ok, dont do that."
Couri asks, "Thumb, Esono?"
Mazilyn steps forward and grasps the knife, her hand shaking slightly. Mazilyn blinks in confusion, and lets go, and the knife continues to hover between the pinchers.
Tirost quietly says, "It's tempting to touch its edge..."
Ezerak tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Casari says, "So... let's shove it off."
Casari tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Qetu steps forward and grasps the knife, his hand shaking slightly. Qetu blinks in confusion, and lets go, and the knife continues to hover between the pinchers.
Ezerak tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Tirost gets a spiritwood cube with intricate truegold accents from inside his sling bag.
Tirost traces a geometric sigil in the air.
Casari tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Couri tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Tirost gets an indurium phoenix with eyes of canary diamond from inside his sling bag.
A wild fervor flashes in Tirost's eyes.
Tirost puts his phoenix in his sling bag.
Tirost gets a glittery platinum poppet with stormfire topaz eyes from inside his sling bag.
Tirost puts his poppet in his sling bag.
Tirost gets a regal diamondwood scepter capped with a trilliant-cut sunderstone from inside his sling bag.
Ezerak tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Tirost puts his scepter in his sling bag.
Mazilyn steps forward and grasps the knife, her hand shaking slightly. Mazilyn blinks in confusion, and lets go, and the knife continues to hover between the pinchers.
Casari tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Maraisel tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
(shove knife)
Without a second thought, you step forward and shove the knife, trying to force it from between the pinchers. The knife oddly resists, and rotates to present its edge, causing you to back off. Weird, and unsettling.
Tirost gestures.
The wind begins to shift until it blows gently from behind Tirost's back.
Tirost traces a geometric sigil in the air.
Tirost puts his cube in his sling bag.
Tirost draws forth a haralun bastard sword inscribed with arcane symbols.
Tirost sweeps his sword in front of him in quick, methodical swings.
Ezerak steps forward and grasps the knife, his hand shaking slightly. Ezerak blinks in confusion, and lets go, and the knife continues to hover between the pinchers.
(push knife)
You step forward, and the knife seems to leap into your hand. You grip it and are surprised at the pressure against the blade, as though the knife is held under a strong current. Something snags the edge, and your hand goes cold! The whispers follow - a seed that grows to rot, a land composed of fire, the snarling fury that resides in the core of the sun. You blink, and realize the knife is hovering once again in between the pinchers.
Qetu tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Illiya tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Casari asks Tirost, "You going to help?"
Casari tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Couri steps forward and grasps the knife, her hand shaking slightly. Couri blinks in confusion, and lets go, and the knife continues to hover between the pinchers.
Mazilyn examines the knife and suddenly her thumb falls to the ground, and blood begins to pour from her hand!
Ollythander steps forward and grasps the knife, his hand shaking slightly. Ollythander blinks in confusion, and lets go, and the knife continues to hover between the pinchers.
Qetu seems to be trying to figure out how to turn a small steel skinning knife with a leather-wrapped hilt.
(second push)
You step forward, and the knife seems to leap into your hand. You grip it and are surprised at the pressure against the blade, as though the knife is held under a strong current. Something snags the edge, and your hand goes cold! The whispers follow - instructions to unmake, promises that are threats, bargains where everyone loses. You blink, and realize the knife is hovering once again in between the pinchers.
Casari tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Tirost sheathes his haralun sword.
Tirost gets a spiritwood cube with intricate truegold accents from inside his sling bag.
Ezerak shakes his head.
Illiya asks, "What are you guys doing to get cut by it?"
Casari tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Tirost reaches with his fist toward the ground.
Dusky green motes surge upward, covering Tirost's body and hardening like a granite aegis.
Illiya lays her hand on Mazilyn's arm.
Ezerak tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Casari tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Qetu steps forward and grasps the knife, his hand shaking slightly. Qetu blinks in confusion, and lets go, and the knife continues to hover between the pinchers.
(third push)
You step forward, and the knife seems to leap into your hand. You grip it and are surprised at the pressure against the blade, as though the knife is held under a strong current. Something snags the edge, and your hand goes cold! The whispers follow - three vines spreading across the land, a cable composed of three strands woven together, a fire slowly burning a spiral of mirror-like material. You blink, and realize the knife is hovering once again in between the pinchers.
Ezerak tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Casari tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Mazilyn says, "Wasnt sure if it was sharp."
Couri examines the knife and suddenly her thumb falls to the ground, and blood begins to pour from her hand!
Mazilyn tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Ezerak tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "A seed that grows to rot, a land composed of fire, the snarling fury that resides in the core of the sun...."
Tirost asks Casari, "Do you get the sense that what you're trying needs more of us doing it?"
Casari asks, "Shove it. Do I need to kill everyone who is doing anything else?"
Ollythander asks in a polished accent, "That mean anything to anyone?"
Mazilyn tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Casari tries to shove the knife from between the pinchers, but suddenly backs away. Weird.
Suddenly, the knife slips free, and bounces off one of the pincers with a loud clattering ringing! The edge chips and corrosion blossoms across the flat of the blade!
The knife appears broken!
Casari says, "There."
Qetu reaches for the knife, but pauses and reconsiders!
Couri examines a rusted steel knife.
Tirost says, "Nice work."
Tirost traces a geometric sigil in the air.
Couri reaches for the knife, but pauses and reconsiders!
Casari examines a rusted steel knife.
Qetu examines a rusted steel knife.
Casari cracks her knuckles.
Ezerak reaches for the knife, but pauses and reconsiders!
(look knife)
The edge of the blade is chipped in several places, and corrosion has spread across the entirety of the knife. Flakes of rust separate from the blade, and a blue-green patina pits the copper hilt. The script etched into the blade is barely visible. It appears to be little more than an old knife.
Tirost gestures.
A muted roar begins to emanate from Tirost's arms.
(read knife)
There is nothing there to read.
Illiya glances at a rusted steel knife.
Couri holds a rusted steel knife in both hands and closes her eyes in concentration.
Tirost puts his cube in his sling bag.
(get knife)
You reach for the knife, but are suddenly convinced you should not draw any further attention to it!
Maraisel reaches for the knife, but pauses and reconsiders!
Casari says to Tirost, "Your lack of help is noted."
Couri reaches for the knife, but pauses and reconsiders!
Illiya asks, "What now?"
Tirost glances at Casari.
Ezerak reaches for the knife, but pauses and reconsiders!
Illiya examines a rusted steel knife.
Ollythander says to Casari in a polished accent, "Could we not threaten anyone's lives, we're all trying to help thanks."
Ollythander smiles.
Casari says to Illiya, "Now, we ask Asildu how he's feeling."
Mazilyn examines a rusted steel knife.
Mazilyn reaches for the knife, but pauses and reconsiders!
Illiya asks, "It's still here. We don't need to destroy it further?"
Qetu holds a rusted steel knife in both hands and closes his eyes in concentration.
(focus knife)
You focus your magical senses on a rusted steel knife.
The steel knife has no discernible magical pattern.
Mazilyn ponders.
Couri assesses her combat situation.
Casari says, "It's just like the bell. Whatever it was, it's something else now."
Mazilyn reaches for the knife, but pauses and reconsiders!
Qetu reaches for the knife, but pauses and reconsiders!
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "It does just appear to be an old knife."
Illiya examines a rusted steel knife.
Ezerak says, "Seems so ordinary, now."
Maraisel asks, "Maybe breaking it removed whatever was making it something more?"
Casari nods.
Ollythander shrugs.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "Seems consistent with what the others have experienced."
Casari asks, "Does anyone have anything else they want to do here before we head back to safety?"
Maraisel shakes her head.
Ollythander shakes his head.
Maraisel says, "No, this place is uncomfortable."
Casari nods in agreement.
Ezerak nods in agreement.
Casari says, "Okay, heading out, then."
Returning to Ratha
You follow Casari up.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
The air is almost painfully dry, pulling all water, stinging your nostrils, eyes, and throat. The stone is bone dry as well, the surface utterly free of dust or moisture. The stone surfaces of the hallway continue on, arcing downward, and a disorienting thrumming charge can be felt deeper ahead.
You follow Casari up.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
The air is curiously dry, pulling all water, stinging your nostrils and eyes. The stone is bone dry as well, the surface utterly free of dust or moisture. The stone surfaces of the hallway continue on, arcing downward, and an unpleasant buzzing charge can be felt deeper ahead.
You follow Casari up.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
The air is curiously dry, pulling all water. The stone is bone dry as well, the surface utterly free of dust or moisture. The stone surfaces of the hallway continue on, arcing downward, and an unpleasant buzzing charge can be felt deeper ahead.
You follow Casari up.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
The air is curiously dry, pulling all water. The stone is bone dry as well, the surface utterly free of dust or moisture. The stone surfaces of the hallway continue on, arcing downward, and a grating buzzing charge can be felt deeper ahead.
You follow Casari up.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
The air is curiously dry, seeming to pull all water. The stone appears to repel all contaminates, the surface utterly free of dust or moisture. The hallway continues on, arcing downward, and an buzzing charge can be felt deeper ahead.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
The air is curiously dry, though it is unclear how or why. The stone appears to repel all contaminates, the surface utterly free of dust or moisture. The hallway continue on, arcing gently downward, and an tingling charge can be felt deeper ahead.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
The air is curiously dry, though it is unclear how or why. The sound of water dripping can be heard towards the pathway entrance, though no water or moisture has made it even this far into the pathway. The stone surfaces of the hallway continue on, arcing gently downward, and an odd charge can be felt deeper ahead.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Ancient Cave, Preserved Pathway]
Damp ocean air condenses along the surfaces of the ceiling, walls and floor of this odd pathway, though does not make its way further. Old stone lines the surfaces of this odd hallway, interrupted by a bloom of algae or lichen that grows between the joints and upon previous generations, slowly expanding as far as the available moisture permits. The masonry is of an immaculate form you do not recognize, each block a different size and cut that somehow merge together in a mosaic of impressively fitting, and impressively smooth surfaces, without any mortar. The air is dry, and an odd charge can be felt deeper ahead. You also see a narrow crack.
Illiya asks, "How did someone die last time?"
Casari says, "By misbehaving."
Casari says, "The artifact killed them. I guess folks were luckier this time."
Qetu says in a measured accent, "It only took a thumb."
Tirost says, "Let's head out, and see if Asildu feels any change."
Ezerak says, "Just lost thumbs, this time."
Illiya moves over to guard Ollythander.
Qetu says in a measured accent, "It was impossibly sharp at first."
Firehawk Casari's group went through a narrow crack.
[Pivilho Volcano, Cliff Edge]
A tall menhir made of weathered marble overlooks the ocean view and is set neatly between the hexagonal lines of the columnar ground. Seabirds soar along the coast and the littoral waves are battered by the prevailing winds and tides. The ground is swept clean, ending abruptly at the cliff's edge. You also see a narrow crack.
You follow Casari east.
[Pivilho Volcano, Cliff Edge]
A largely flat and even surface set into the volcano marks a short, rough plain. Haphazard boulders are scattered around, shattered as if dropped from great height. Heavy winds have swept the area of smaller debris, revealing hexagonal jointing with largely even elevation, exacting lines abruptly ending with the cliff edge. The height and unobstructed view affords an excellent vantage of the ocean.
Tirost nods to Qetu.
You follow Casari down.
[Pivilho Volcano, Cliff Face]
Carved into the rock face, the columnar basalt has been rough hewn, resulting in numerous deep seated platforms. Littered with large bones and lined with blackened fulgurite nodules spidering along the stone, the space appears to provide rest for more than just climbers scaling the cliff. Further down the volcano, the waves beat against a black sand beach.
You follow Casari down.
[Pivilho Volcano, Summit Pathway]
Revealed by weathering, thin hexagonal columnar joints form an outcropping on an otherwise effectively sheer face. Carved steps allow for an easy climb up to a series of quarried platforms set into the cliff. The air smells of sulfur and hot ash.
The hurricane drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The hurricane drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The hurricane drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The hurricane drake crashes down from above, arresting her descent with a powerful flap of her wings which she quickly furls to her sides.
The hurricane drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
The hurricane drake crashes down from above, arresting his descent with a powerful flap of his wings which he quickly furls to his sides.
Ollythander says to Illiya in a polished accent, "Thanks."
You follow Casari south.
[Pivilho Volcano, Summit Pathway]
Set into a bermed nook, a simple wooden lean-to provides shelter against the elements, and affords travelers an opportunity to rest in the shade. The andesite ground is faintly rippled and scoured from the elements. The track continues to the north, curving around a bend and an open reinforced wooden barricade allows passage back down to the vale while a steep, narrow path leads to a rocky ledge. You also see a hurricane drake, a hurricane drake and a hurricane drake.
The hurricane drake spreads its wings and turns in a quick circle, drawing the winds into a swirling mass around her.
The hurricane drake begins to advance on Couri.
The hurricane drake spreads its wings and turns in a quick circle, drawing the winds into a swirling mass around her.
The hurricane drake begins to advance on Tirost.
Firehawk Casari's group went through a reinforced barricade.
[Pivilho Volcano, Fellgust Vale]
Rough boulders and chunks of stone torn from the walls of the ravine are scattered haphazardly, held in place by a muddy trickle of stinking water. Large nests made of shredded timber and scrub packed with assorted bones peak over caves dug into the ravine walls. The wind howls along the valley, buffeting the nests. An open reinforced wooden barricade allows passage further up the ravine.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Pivilho Volcano, Fellgust Vale]
The valley branches here, bifurcating around a large outcropping. Scoured by the winds and lashed with burn marks, the structure is heavily pocked and crumbling. Merging as they are funneled around the rock, strong gusts of noxious wind howl and whip about chaotically.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Pivilho Volcano, Fellgust Vale]
The valley curves slightly here, catching the prevailing ocean trade winds, and strong gusts push down the valley, mixing faintly with the ever present volcanic fumes. Clinging bushes rustle along the valley walls, and a few stunted trees sprout along the cliff edges. The ground is churned, crisscrossed by claw marks and littered with fractured stone shards.
[General] Your mind hears Tirost thinking, "Do you sense anything different, Asildu?"
You follow Casari south.
[Pivilho Volcano, Fellgust Vale]
Naturally carved from millennia of rain and harsh winds, a wide valley cuts almost straight up the side of the volcano. Nearly constant gusts of hot, humid air stream downward bringing noxious fumes reeking of sulfur. A thin trickle of muddy water runs along the center of the valley, swirling with a thick yellow slime. Bushes grow along the edges of the valley and the cliff walls, a significant distance from the slow stream. A narrow path leads towards the base route.
Firehawk Casari's group went up a narrow path.
[Pivilho Volcano, Base Route]
The bleached remains of a large ram are scattered along the pathway, heavily pitted from the warm sea breeze and elements. Several cracks spider along the nearby boulders, and large chips of stone littering the area primarily around the skeletal form suggest the creature did not go down without a fight. A swath of rippled igneous rock forms a causeway that has long since cooled and been worn down by the passing wildlife. Seabirds soar offshore, coasting on the rising thermals and occasionally diving for the waters. A ravine continues up the volcano. You also see a ghostly white banner.
Illiya says, "Whew."
Casari asks, "Did we lose anyone?"
Illiya says, "I don't think so."
[General] Your mind hears Asildu thinking, "I do. Did you find it? Is that what I'm feeling?"
Ollythander exclaims in a polished accent, "Well done everyone!"
Mazilyn nods to Qetu.
[General] Your mind hears Ollythander thinking, "I think we did sir!"
[General] Your mind hears Tirost thinking, "It seems so."
Casari cracks her knuckles.
Ollythander exclaims in a polished accent, "Oh hey, Banner is still up!"
Ollythander laughs!
Casari smiles.
Mazilyn continues to praise Ollythander.
Casari nods to a ghostly white banner.
Illiya grins at Ollythander, her dimples flashing into view.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "Got about five roisaen on it."
Ollythander bows his head and chants a mantra.
[General] Your mind hears Asildu thinking, "Last time, I continued to feel the effects over the next few days. I'm hoping this will be the same."
Casari says, "Sounds like Asildu has already noticed the effects."
Ollythander gestures.
He twiddles his fingers at the white banner.
The white banner bobs and shudders for a moment.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "Got twenty roisaen, not that I think we need it."
[General] Your mind hears Illiya thinking, "Hoping that your improvement continues sir"
Illiya says, "Probably not."
Casari says, "I'll take us back to Ratha, at least."
You follow Casari southwest.
[Pivilho Volcano, Base Route]
Large boulders of weathered ignimbrite dot the mountain face, and though the footing is precarious, the ground is partially hard packed by the traffic of local wildlife. Scrub tenuously grows in what little shelter can be found, tufts of fur and feather mixing with the occasional scale in the clinging bushes. You also see an open roadblock.
[General] Your mind hears Ollythander thinking, "I think it will! I'm hoping for even more joy in your heart next we meet Asildu!"
Firehawk Casari's group went through an open roadblock.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
Elms, oaks and birches grow sturdy and well spaced here in the dark woods. Points of glowing light hover and drift and zip about in an eerie display, while owls hoot their hunger on their nightly hunt. You also see an open roadblock.
[General] Your mind hears Asildu thinking, "You all did well. Was my memory accurate of the location?"
You follow Casari southeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
The grass shivers in waves on the ground as the breeze from the ocean passes over it. A ring of little brown-capped mushrooms is set in the shade of a tree, like a council room for tiny fae, gathered to discuss a coming moonlight dance or the flavor of this season's honeydew. You also see a tall oak tree strung with garlands of thistle and amber-hued gaethzen orbs.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
One of the huge elms has fallen to the southwest of the road, taking other trees with it on the way down. The scorched wood seems to indicate a lightning strike. The open space gives a clear if narrow view of the beach, and the ocean beyond it. A few saplings have grown up around their dead elders, but it will be some time before the view is completely obstructed once more, and for right now this is a pleasant place for travellers to catch their breath and enjoy the scenery.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
A dark mound grows up against a sturdy elm, seemingly about to engulf its trunk. The mound quivers and rustles, its reaching arms trembling. The wind blowing off the ocean might explain the movement, but somehow the rhythm of the shaking seems wrong. You also see a baleful oak tree with worm-infested branches.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
Mature old trees grow on either side of the trade road, spreading oaks and sturdy elms and graceful birches. The woods are well tended, with little underbrush clogging the ground between the treetrunks. But sweet green grass grows, and shy, shade-loving plants. Nodding columbines thrive in the shadows, their gracefully spurred blooms nodding above their pretty clover-like foliage. Dainty violets peep out of nooks and crannies, while pink stock perfumes the air.
You follow Casari south.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
A large shadowed stone stands a few paces away from the road and near the indistinct border of the woods to the north. Rising solitary out of the grass, its appearance is ominous and harsh, the focus of all that is dark and deathly in the night.
You follow Casari south.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
Spreading bougainvillea vines snake across the ground, their blossoms like scarlet tissue resembling ruby rivers in the green grass. One birch tree is nearly covered with the vines, and although the effect is very beautiful, the tree is being smothered and will likely die within a few years. The grand old elms that border the meadow have likewise been trellised by climbing red roses, but these trees are old and established and seem to be bearing up well under the colorful invaders.
[General] Your mind hears Casari thinking, "Close enough."
You follow Casari southeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
A few young oak trees, hardly more than bushes, grow in the meadow here. The grass grows green and lush away from them, though, decorated by purple alyssum and sweet-smelling pink and purple stock. An odd bowl-shaped depression in the center of the area is full of grass and flowers, but no trees grow there.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
A huge oak tree grows hard by the side of the road, its rough-barked branches spreading grandly toward the sky. The hooting of an owl is heard periodically, and fireflies swirl and dance in the night air, like a galaxy of stars come down to Elanthia to play.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
An old cart wheel lies decaying by the side of the road. A short distance away the remains of half a dozen broken barrels litter the grass, their rusted hoops arcing up above their rotting staves. A patch of oats grows all around the spot where the junk is scattered, with a few smaller tufts nodding in the light wind to the east.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
The road curves away from the bay to the northwest and toward the cliffs to the east. It slopes very slightly to the south, and there are signs of water erosion in the ruts leading toward the cliff's edge. If one looks closely, it's apparent that the road used to run right where the drop-off is now, but the receding cliff forced whomever maintains the road to pull it back for safety's sake.
[General] Your mind hears Ollythander thinking, "Quite accurate, and a very interesting place!"
You follow Casari east.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Meadow]
An open meadow spreads out to the north, bounded a few dozen yards away by a wooded area composed of what look like elms, birch, and an occasional oak. Flowers dot the meadow, in orange and yellow and white, along with a number of burrows of about the size to have been dug by rabbits.
You follow Casari east.
[Trade Road, Cliff Meadow]
The road slopes up to the east as the land rises toward the Slo'Tami Cliffs which curve around the inside of the bay of the same name. A brisk wind smelling of salt and seaweed blows off the water, stirring the yellow fountains of grass and the bushes scattered about the meadow. Hardy daisies nod in the shifting air currents, and dry leaves rustle.
You follow Casari east.
[Trade Road, Cliff Meadow]
Few trees grow here on the slopes. Tough grasses send fibrous roots into the soil where they cling tight against the gales which blow in off the ocean. An occasional cypress shrub raises its gnarled branches toward the sky, and here and there a low-growing patch of sea anemone spreads, its succulent leaves looking like green fruit spears, surrounding the fleshy purple and pink flowers which give the plant its name.
[General] Your mind hears Illiya thinking, "Well, the entrance was not really in a safe place, but it was in a place that made sense."
You follow Casari southeast.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
The road hugs the edge of the bluffs here, forced right up to the brink by the twisted cypresses on the opposite side of the track. To the west the land runs down a shallow incline, the cliffs stretching not quite so high as they do to the east. The view to the southeast shows the Slo'Tami Cliffs in all their ruddy glory, while directly to the south and still over a hundred feet below lies the bay itself. You also see a maple tree.
You follow Casari east.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
Black and grey seabirds call and screech from an unpleasantly close distance. A pair of them have made a nest in the cypresses right off the path, and they go hysterical whenever someone passes by, no matter how quietly. Feathers, down and droppings litter the twigs and spot the ground, while forearm-long feathered bodies swoop back and forth across the road, complaining raucously.
You follow Casari east.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
Voices can be heard over the crashing of the waves, male voices mostly, calling to each other and laughing. There must be a number of people about, somewhere on the bay side of the road, but the trees are impossible to see through, much less pass. Flickers of firelight shine through the foliage, and a general glow comes from what's probably right around the edge of the cliff.
You follow Casari east.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
The low spreading cypress trees cast deep shadows across the road. The shade promotes damp, and the gravel spread regularly on the road sinks down into the mud beneath quickly enough that the road is muddy more often than not. Birds screech and flap about in the dense foliage, but are only rarely seen overhead. The air smells of sea salt and bird droppings.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
The trade road curves around the northeastern point of the bay. Cypresses press in on both sides, leaving scarcely room for two wagons to pass. The underbrush is woody, tangled and dense. No flowers grow nearby, nor even much grass save for a few yellowish tufts here and there. The sound of the waves crashing on the rocks below is quite loud, but the trees are too dense to allow a view of the water.
You follow Casari southeast.
[Trade Road, Cliff Woods]
The road here runs within a few hundred feet of the cliff overlooking Slo'Tami Bay. The sound of the surf below is plain, but twisted cypress trees block any view of the water. The underbrush is dense, impassable except perhaps with a work crew wielding pickaxes. A smaller road branches off to the east, curving around some trees and quickly out of sight. You also see a cypress tree.
You follow Casari south.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
Birch trees grow sparsely here, and the undergrowth is mostly grass, with a few small flowers and an odd succulent or two. The sounds of the sea are clearly audible from this spot, as is the mournful call of the grey and black sea birds that swoop and circle overhead. The air smells very slightly of salt, when the wind is from the west.
You follow Casari south.
[Reshalia Trade Road, Woods]
The tiny leaves of birch trees shiver in the breeze, dancing against the background of their white and black trunks and greyish branches. Sassy bluejays perch on the branches overhead, chattering with each other and swooping down upon occasion to see if you've dropped anything tasty. Gravel combines with birch leaves and seed clusters to make the surface of the road crunchy.
(travel)
You follow Casari southeast.
[Ratha, Outside Sur'oson Gate]
Cloaked travelers slip in and out of the gate, wrapped up against the chill of the night and carrying torches and lanterns to light their way. Although there are relatively few folk passing through at this hour, the gate guards seem particularly alert as they assess each person, keeping one eye on the shadows. You also see a large stable built against the city wall, the Sur'oson Gate, a stone pile and a stone pile.
Firehawk Casari's group went through the Sur'oson Gate.
[Shh'o'kumu Terrace, Sur'oson Gate]
Tall timbers and rough-hewn stone form a giant gate in the great wall. Standing open for the streams of wagon and foot traffic to pass through, the entrance to Ratha is carefully guarded by observant sentinels who watch every passerby with trained eyes.
Casari gestures.
Tirost frowns thoughtfully.
[General] Your mind hears Asildu thinking, "My blasted memory must be hazier than I thought. But I'm glad you're all safe."
Illiya asks, "Can we get a moongate back?"
You get an odd feeling that someone is watching you. It quickly passes.
[General] Your mind hears Ollythander thinking, "It served us well enough sir, and it'll be even better next time!"
Casari says, "Feels like it."
Ollythander grins.
Illiya says, "Ask and ye shall receive."
Tirost grins.
Ollythander exclaims to Casari in a polished accent, "Thank you for leading this expedition!"
Casari says to Ollythander, "Group effort."
Ollythander nods to Casari.
Illiya says, "It was a good group effort."
Ollythander exclaims in a polished accent, "Very much so!"
Couri nods.
Illiya says, "Olly was clutch with that banner."
Couri beams!
Ollythander grins.
Tirost smiles.
Illiya grins at Ollythander, her dimples flashing into view.
Maraisel chuckles.
Couri says, "I were clutch with...beamin."
Couri nods.
Ollythander nods to Couri.
Casari says to Illiya, "Did anyone specifically say they were making a moongate? It was a well-timed Locate spell, but...."
Qetu gives Couri a light kiss.
Maraisel says, "Thankfully, no one needed my services of restoring life."
Couri gives Qetu a light kiss.
Illiya says to Casari, "I think there will be one."
Casari nods.
Tirost glances up at the sky.
Ollythander exclaims to Tirost in a polished accent, "And the drakes didn't eat me!"
Tirost says to Ollythander, "They did not."
Ollythander laughs!
Tirost smiles at Ollythander.
Ezerak says to Ollythander, "Well, we aren't back yet."
Ezerak appears to be trying hard not to grin.
Ollythander ponders.
You get an odd feeling that someone is watching you. It quickly passes.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "TRUE."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "There's still time."
Tirost asks Ollythander, "Have you met Asildu before?"
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "Once! I gave him some water and a sandwhich."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I have a theory that likely isn't helping at all but I'm doing it anyway."
Ollythander nods to Tirost.
A gaping rift of rippling amaranth luminscence rips through the air in front of Ollythander, followed by a sudden blast of frigid wind.
[General] Your mind hears Asildu thinking, "When things are safer for me to visit again, I will find a way to speak with you all about the artifact."
Illiya asks, "Is this Ratha?"
Ollythander nods to Illiya.
Casari nods to Illiya.
Illiya says, "Oh."
Ollythander approaches a flickering amaranth rift and is immediately engulfed by its radiance. The rift flashes suddenly and disappears.
A flickering amaranth rift shudders briefly and vanishes.
[General] Your mind hears Gwenddolyn thinking, "what artifact is that?"
Illiya says, "I just told someone it was Aesry."
Illiya chortles softly at some secret joke.
Illiya exclaims, "I said I was bad at navigating!"
Illiya stops guarding.
Casari laughs!
[General] Your mind hears Ollythander thinking, "it was a knife!"
Ezerak chuckles.
Ezerak pats Illiya on the back.
Tirost says, "A knife, and a bell... I believe there was a Moon Mage vision about a knife recently, with the dice."
Illiya says to Tirost, "Oh, good point."
Casari says, "While we wait, I can tell you all what I heard."
[General] Your mind hears Ollythander thinking, "Remember Asildu, life can always use more bubbles!"
Wild Card Elore just arrived.
Illiya nods to Casari.
Elore squeezes a wet cream towel, wringing out a stream of water.
Illiya beams at Elore!
Elore waves.
Tirost smiles at Elore.
Elore pointedly ignores Tirost.
Illiya leans over to give Elore a friendly smooch.
Elore puts her towel in her backpack.
Elore makes a careless gesture as she begins an almost musical chant.
Illiya chortles softly at some secret joke.
Casari says, "Or we can do that on the other side of the moongate."
Casari grins.
Tirost laughs!
Elore catches Illiya up in a fierce embrace, swinging her around exuberantly.
[General] Your mind hears Asildu thinking, "I will remember that. Hopefully."
Elore asks, "How was it?"
Illiya exclaims to Elore, "Nobody died!"
Maraisel chuckles.
Elore holds her hand out towards Illiya for a highfive.
[General] Your mind hears Ollythander thinking, "if you don't, I'll be happy to remind you next time!"
Couri hugs Elore, getting a smile in return.
Illiya and Elore highfive each other and follow it up with simultaneous finger snaps. Sassy!
Illiya says, "Also we destroyed a knife."
Elore gestures.
A swirling vortex of shadows draws itself from the ground and coalesces into a deep velvet-black Moongate that sparkles with brilliant bursts of light, which yawns open like a hungry maw.
Casari peers through the velvet-black Moongate.
Return to Crossing and Debrief at Gaethrend's
Firehawk Casari's group went through a deep velvet-black Moongate that sparkles with brilliant bursts of light.
[The Crossing, Town Green Southeast]
This tranquil corner of the Green has a small bower of entwined modwyn vines, laden with tempting, grape-like clusters. A limestone bench and some sawed-off sections of trees that serve as rustic stools make up an open-air performance space, where bards, musicians and poets can demonstrate their talents. You also see a deep velvet-black Moongate that sparkles with brilliant bursts of light, a pool of black shadows, a chitin-clad vela'tohr thornbush adorned with various insect parts, a waste bin, a grass path leading behind the amphitheater, the Amphitheater gate, a gilded walkway, a strong and stately mature oak and a young alchemist student.
Wild Card Elore came through a deep velvet-black Moongate that sparkles with brilliant bursts of light.
Casari peers through the velvet-black Moongate.
Casari adds to Elore's praises.
Casari exclaims to Elore, "Thanks!"
Tirost smiles at Elore.
Mazilyn beams at Elore!
A deep velvet-black Moongate that sparkles with brilliant bursts of light collapses in on itself.
Elore wraps her arms around Tirost, giving Tirost a great big bear hug!
Ezerak says, "Good work, everyone."
Mazilyn snuggles up to Elore.
Elore gives Mazilyn a smooch.
Elore hugs Couri, who wraps her arms around Elore with a warm smile.
Tirost hugs Elore, who wraps her arms around Tirost with a warm smile.
Mazilyn gives Elore a gentle smooch on the cheek.
Qetu hugs Elore, getting a smile in return.
Casari says, "I suppose we can drop by Gaethrend's, for anyone who wants to hear the memory."
Legendary Cleric Mazilyn glides northwest.
Legendary Cleric Mazilyn just arrived, leading her group.
Ollythander laughs!
Ollythander waves.
Illiya asks, "Should we not meet up with Asildu again?"
Elore hugs Ollythander, who wraps his arms around Elore with a warm smile.
Ollythander hugs Elore, getting a smile in return.
Illiya waves to Ollythander.
Mazilyn says, "Not right now."
Elore asks, "Is he down in Leth?"
Ezerak says to Casari, "I'll take the full written report."
Casari says, "It sounded like it's too dangerous for him to meet us again right now. Same after the bell was destroyed."
Ollythander says to Tirost in a polished accent, "Sorry, I was saying, I have a theory that likely isn't doing anything, but maybe it is who knows."
Illiya nods.
Ollythander nods at Casari, obviously agreeing with her views.
Ezerak says, "I must be off for now."
Illiya says, "I'd like to hear the recall."
Casari nods to Ezerak.
Tirost asks Ollythander, "The sandwitches?"
Ezerak hugs Maraisel, who wraps her arms around Ezerak with a warm smile.
Illiya hugs Elore, getting a smile in return.
Ollythander nods to Tirost.
Maraisel hugs Ezerak, who wraps his arms around Maraisel with a warm smile.
Tirost smiles at Ollythander.
Elore hugs Illiya, getting a smile in return.
Ezerak waves to Casari.
Ollythander says to Tirost in a polished accent, "Things that make him feel like people."
Ezerak doffs his top hat.
Casari says, "Okay, heading to the tavern. Follow me, if you're coming."
Elore hugs Qetu, who wraps his arms around Elore with a warm smile.
Casari waves to Ezerak.
Mountain Lord Ezerak swaggers west.
Couri hugs Elore, getting a smile in return.
Mazilyn joins Casari's group.
Ollythander asks in a polished accent, "I am hoping that that will help with the brain fog and give him more...I don't know...mortality?"
Tirost says to Ollythander, "I think maybe that helps more than destroying the artifacts."
Ollythander laughs!
Tirost smiles.
Casari asks Ollythander, "Are you joining us?"
Elore joins Casari's group.
Ollythander says to Tirost in a polished accent, "Likely not, but bubble wands and sandwhiches."
Ollythander joins Casari's group.
Mazilyn says to Ollythander, "Thats what ive been adding to the sketchbook."
Casari nods.
Elore hums to herself.
Mazilyn beams at Ollythander!
You follow Casari north.
[The Crossing, Town Green Northeast]
The cool, welcome expanse of the Town Green is a pleasant place to gather and exchange news, gossip and adventuring pointers with all the folk and races of Elanthia who are drawn to town. A soft, spongy carpet of well-manicured grass underfoot affords a comfortable cushion for sitting or sprawling beneath the star-studded night sky. An ancient oak tree provides shelter for those so inclined. You also see some carved wooden benches, a stone water trough, a small cobblestone walkway and a trodden dirt path.
Illiya asks, "Who doesn't like sandwiches?"
You follow Casari west.
[The Crossing, Town Green North]
A small path of bent grass leads to a narrow stretch of cobblestones between the grass and the privet hedge that stands before Milgrym the Weaponsmith's. The town's main source of serviceable arms, Milgrym does a good trade and has a solid reputation. The stream of customers, though steady, seems careful not to disturb the usual tranquility of the facing greensward. You also see a public listings board and the town green pond.
Maraisel says, "I don't know. Destroying the first artifact looked to have quite an effect on him."
You follow Casari north.
[The Crossing, Via Iltesh]
The lane is quite narrow here, with the sides of the Armorer's and Weaponsmith's shops encroaching on the path itself. Their huddling structures and the shady hedges and lunats that form this northern boundary of the Town Green cause slippery moss to grow upon the cobblestones and cast a cool, damp pall over this end of the street.
You follow Casari north.
[The Crossing, Via Iltesh]
This small lane off of Clanthew Boulevard narrows to the south and grows wider as it leads north into the main road, giving it a shape reminiscent of the blade of a huge greatsword. Due south you can see the verdant border of the Town Green and the shops of the Weaponsmith and Armorer. To the northeast is the dome of the Champions' Arena and to the west, the three-story colonnades of the Academy dominate the skyline.
You follow Casari north.
[The Crossing, Clanthew Boulevard]
The cobblestones here are grey and flecked with crystals that sparkle as you move along the boulevard. High walls over which loom still higher structures with shuttered, mute windows that face the street and baked tile roofs, indicate you are passing through one of the wealthier residential sections of the Crossing. You also see a town guard, a grand stone archway with a bronze plaque on it and a small hut with a grey raven perched on the roof.
You follow Casari east.
[The Crossing, Clanthew Boulevard]
Intimidatingly large passersby crowd around you, and you gulp as you notice most of the men and women here of all races tower above their average counterparts. They also tend to dress differently - fully equipped, even in the midst of the city - in leathers, hide and armor, weapons drawn or at the ready over shoulders or at their sides. Carefully you make your way through the throng, since something tells you this would not be a good spot to step on anyone's toes. You also see a city meeting hall.
Ollythander points at Maraisel.
You follow Casari east.
[The Crossing, Champions' Square]
Statues of famous barbarians and arena champions form an arcade leading to the arched steel-clad door of the Barbarians' Guild. The building itself is high and massive, and the roof rises into a dome towards the east, covering the Champions' Arena. Through narrow, slit windows you can hear the clang of weapon on shield, and the voice of the trainers barking out instructions to the would-be fighters, gladiators, knights and mercenaries within. You also see a town guard and a sturdy stone structure.
You follow Casari north.
[The Crossing, Magen Road]
The whitewashed building before you is stark and functional. A sign mounted on it is hand painted and carved with cunning skill. White-robed figures and all manner of injured and infirm people stream in and out of a double door, leaving thin trails of blood on the spotless pavement. You also see an ethereal alfar warrior, a wide arch and a stone urn.
You follow Casari east.
[The Crossing, Magen Road]
Not far off you spot the town walls, which meet at a right angle in this northeast corner of town. This road is kept busy by the traffic to and from the popular haunts crowded into this sector - the Barbarians' Guild, the Champions' Arena, the Empaths' Guild, Martyr Saedelthorp's Healing Hospital, and the convivial Gaethrend's Court Inn. In addition, the Paladins' Guild farther north, and the gate leading out of town to the Warrior Mages' Guild and the wilds all are accessed through this street.
You follow Casari east.
[The Crossing, Magen Road]
This bustling junction presents a cross section of the world's inhabitants in various states of health and disrepair. Bloodied adventurers, impaired healers, overextended spellsingers, and other members of the walking wounded lurch their way towards the Healing Hospital to the west. Litters, carts and horses carry those too badly hurt to move under their own power. In striking contrast are the strapping barbarians who swagger by, towards the Arena and Barbarians' Guild southwest.
You follow Casari north.
[The Crossing, Boar Alley]
This quaint alley connects Magen Road to the south and Firulf Vista to the north. An ornately carved building with an ancient wooden door is set back from the curb. You would hardly stop and give it a second glance, except that the windows on the second story all seem to glow with soft, pulsating hues that cycle through the colors of the spectrum. You also see a town guard.
Firehawk Casari's group went through an ancient wooden door.
[Gaethrend's Court, Foyer]
An elaborately ornamented desk serves as a check-in point for travellers seeking a night's rest. Beside the ancient-looking wooden doorway which leads out, two amazingly detailed stone statues stand guard over the entryway. You begin to wonder if they are truly the product of genius or perhaps the unfortunate result of some powerful mage's disfavor. In the corner, a staircase leads up into darkness. You also see an ancient wooden door.
You follow Casari northwest.
[Gaethrend's Court, Solarium]
Amongst a variety of unrecognizable red-orange plants, you notice a small riolur bush flourishing in the sunlight. The ceiling is much lower here but is made up of a number of small multi-colored glass panes which add a curious tint to the atmosphere.
Tirost says to Ollythander, "Escaping the Heralds' influence is one thing, but feeling like a person again..."
Ollythander nods to Tirost.
Tirost says to Ollythander, "I think you truly are a great help."
You follow Casari east.
[Gaethrend's Court, Promenade]
A grand glass skylight allows the sun to shine in from above, lending the court a warm glow. Several booths circle the area, occupied by magicians, astrologers, and various traders of magical wares. A wrought-iron spiral stairway rises into some scaffolding high above the center of the promenade.
You follow Casari east.
[Gaethrend's Court, Barroom]
Plush red carpet surrounds a glistening pinewood bar where thirsty travellers stop for a taste of Gaethrend's finest brew. A seemingly endless array of bottles are lined up in front of a classic long bar mirror. You note a few of the bottles contain actively swirling elixirs, twisting about in their containers as if alive. You also see a battered table with a prominent sign bearing the directions for arm wrestling on it and an elegant menu.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "That's what I'm hoping...that it's laying the groundwork for after the cool stuff is done."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "So he can be people again when all is said and done."
Ollythander shrugs.
Tirost says to Ollythander, "There are some who feel he has earned exile, at best, for the choices he's made."
Ollythander nods to Tirost.
Tirost gets a burnished silversteel tankard crowned with laurel leaves from inside his sling bag.
Tirost flips open the lid on his silversteel tankard.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "And Justice will find him when it's all done....but he will receive that...as a person, not a monster...I hope."
Tirost smiles at Ollythander.
Tirost nods in agreement.
Casari says, "We'll see what sort of man he is when he's not under the Heralds' thumb."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "And MANY of them need to remember the difference between justice and vengence."
Maraisel nods to Ollythander, obviously agreeing with his views.
Maraisel says to Ollythander, "That is a very important distinction."
Tirost says to Ollythander, "You are small, but your words carry great wisdom."
Mazilyn sighs and says a soft prayer to herself.
Ollythander smiles.
Tirost gets a lynx talisman from inside his sling bag.
A sand-hued lynx curls up and takes a nap.
Tirost puts his talisman in his watersilk bag.
Ollythander says to Tirost in a polished accent, "I've been told I have a big heart."
Illiya asks Casari, "So what did you see down there?"
Tirost says to Ollythander, "Then you must more time around Elore, because hers is small and cold."
* Asildu returns home from a hard day of adventuring.
Ollythander laughs!
Elore gasps!
Mazilyn pulls Elore towards her!
Ollythander exclaims to Tirost in a polished accent, "Not to me it hasn't been!"
Mazilyn snuggles up to Elore.
Illiya rubs Elore in a friendly manner.
Tirost smiles.
Elore whimpers softly.
Elore sniffles.
Illiya scoffs at Tirost.
Casari says, "Right. So it was pretty similar to the bell. The three of them making it."
Tirost raises his tankard, drinking deeply from the Dwarven ale inside.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "You just gotta spend more time down here."
Ollythander grins at Tirost.
Mazilyn exclaims to Elore, "Dont worry! i'll warm it up for you!"
Couri exclaims, "Elore be wonderful!"
Mazilyn beams at Elore!
Elore frowns and makes the biggest, saddest puppy dog eyes.
Ollythander hugs Elore, getting a smile in return.
(Casari closes her eyes and appears to be concentrating on remembering.)
Illiya nods at Couri, obviously agreeing with her views.
Casari says, "Three stood before a dying star that burned with cold white light, and three reached as one into the star's depths and pulled forth a mass of darkness, causing the star to whimper and die, dissipating into whorls of gas. One of the three held the mass aloft, and struck with the edge of His palm, flaking off a long, thin, screaming shard, the rest of the mass crushed into nothingness as an afterthought."
Casari says, "The next of the three carved a single line of strange script into the shards surface with Her red and gold lacquered nails."
Elore snuggles up to Mazilyn.
Elore appears to be trying hard not to grin.
Casari says, "The material sought nothingness, but the last of the three narrowed Her silver eyes upon it and scraped an edge along one side, squeezing Her fist and forming a hilt to accompany the reluctant blade. She held the knife aloft, and with a gentle swing, rended a slice in space, a dazzling open wound in reality through which shone a blinding light."
Casari says, "The three nodded to one another and as one, turned to me, and as one, smiled with immense cruelty."
(Casari opens her eyes.)
Tirost frowns.
Illiya winces.
Illiya says, "It's so disturbing."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "The knife said something about the sun and rotted seeds and stuff."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "And I don't remember the exact words."
Illiya asks, "The knife spoke?"
Tirost gazes at Ollythander.
Ollythander asks in a polished accent, "Was written on?"
Illiya says, "Oh, that makes more sense."
Tirost says, "I saw the writing, but couldn't read it."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I spoke it aloud but I for the life of me cannot remember."
Elore gazes at Tirost.
Tirost spins the mourning band about his finger for a moment.
Tirost frowns thoughtfully.
Casari says, "In any case, it's broken. It can't do whatever they could have used it for anymore, unless they make another one. And I think they're a little busy for that."
Ollythander nods to Casari.
Tirost nods.
Illiya nods to Casari.
Maraisel says to Casari, "I'm thinking it's a good thing they can't use that, from what you sensed."
Illiya nods in agreement.
Elore frowns.
Casari says, "Also, I would not appreciate it if they used our sun to make the next one."
Tirost glances at Elore.
Tirost smiles.
Elore wraps her arm around Tirost's shoulder in a friendly hug.
Maraisel says to Casari, "I'm hoping they aren't able to make anything else."
Tirost raises his tankard, drinking deeply from the Dwarven ale inside.
Illiya asks, "Any other notes, anything that was noticed in or around the chamber?"
Casari says to Maraisel, "If the trees are too strong to blow over, it's probably only a matter of time before they can't do anything ever again."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "The feeling that was pulling at everything metal."
Ollythander ponders.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "And again, whatever the knife had written on it that I don't recall."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "Soemthing about rotten seeds, and something about the sun."
Tirost asks, "It reacted oddly to people trying to push it. Was there anything significant about how and when it fell?"
Maraisel nods to Casari.
Illiya asks, "Did it just fall eventually after many shoves?"
Maraisel says, "I think so."
Casari says, "I was just too strong."
Casari cracks her knuckles.
Illiya grins at Casari, her dimples flashing into view.
Tirost raises an eyebrow in Casari's direction.
Maraisel grins at Casari.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I don't know what happened, Casari asked if they needed to kill anyone not shoving the knife, then the knife broke."
Ollythander shrugs.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "It happened very quickly."
Illiya says, "I think it was Casari who eventually pushed it over."
Couri nods to Illiya.
Maraisel nods to Illiya, obviously agreeing with her views.
Couri asks, "Did ye get a special message when it were push?"
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "Well I didn't know to shove it, I pushed it."
Casari says, "No, the knife didn't talk to me, if that's what you're asking."
Tirost says, "It's good enough that it's destroyed, especially having heard the vision."
Maraisel nods to Tirost, obviously agreeing with his views.
Couri says, "I felt the knife were like vines."
Ollythander ponders.
Ollythander asks in a polished accent, "His features have been changing, make a note to see if he has less vines next time?"
Tirost says to Couri, "The Heralds certainly make use of them."
Maraisel says, "Is it just me, or is it a little unsettling discovering that these powerful objects have just been... out there. All this time."
Tirost nods to Maraisel.
Casari says, "I wonder if the Heralds don't have the strength to hide them anymore."
Ollythander says to Maraisel in a polished accent, "If I was unsettled by that I'd never sleep. There are SO many things we don't know about the world, it's a little exciting."
Tirost says to Maraisel, "I can see how Asildu was drawn to studying them."
Casari says, "Or maybe they're hoping more people will fall for the trap."
Maraisel nods to Tirost, obviously agreeing with his views.
Couri says, "Qetu felt difference e'ery time he pushed it."
Maraisel nods to Ollythander.
Couri says, "It whispered ta him."
Illiya asks, "What did it whisper?"
Tirost raises his tankard, drinking deeply from the Dwarven ale inside.
Couri says, "He thinkin about it."
Maraisel says to Casari, "If they were hiding them before, it's even more impressive that Asildu found them."
Couri says, "One rois."
Tirost says to Illiya, "We may've lucky Crobin didn't join us. He'd have also been drawn to that knife."
Casari says to Maraisel, "He might be more impressive than he seemed when we first met him. Or they were just waiting for the right kind of people."
Qetu says in a measured accent, "The first one."
Qetu recites:
"You step forward, and the knife seems to leap into your hand. You grip it and are surprised at the pressure against the blade, as though the knife is held under a strong current. Something snags the edge, and your hand goes cold! The whispers follow - a seed that grows to rot, a land composed of fire, the snarling fury that resides in the core of the sun. You blink, and realize the knife is hovering once again in between the pinchers."
Ollythander exclaims in a polished accent, "That!"
Elore gulps.
Ollythander points at Qetu.
Maraisel says to Casari, "Could be either or. But I think I'm a little more impressed with his scholarly investigative skills than I was before."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "It DID whisper to me."
Qetu says in a measured accent, "The second."
Qetu recites:
"You step forward, and the knife seems to leap into your hand. You grip it and are surprised at the pressure against the blade, as though the knife is held under a strong current. Something snags the edge, and your hand goes cold! The whispers follow - instructions to unmake, promises that are threats, bargains where everyone loses. You blink, and realize the knife is hovering once again in between the pinchers."
Tirost flips the lid on his silversteel tankard closed.
Tirost puts his tankard in his sling bag.
Qetu says in a measured accent, "And then it was broken before I could push it again."
Ollythander nods to Qetu.
Tirost says, "I should head south."
Tirost says to Elore, "Thanks for the gate."
Elore gets a snifter of Arthe Dale applejack from inside her backpack.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "It whispered that to me too..the first one, not the second."
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "I only touched it the once."
Elore smiles at Tirost.
Tirost smiles at Elore.
Elore asks, "Should - or have to?"
Elore offers Ollythander a snifter of Arthe Dale applejack.
Ollythander accepts Elore's Arthe Dale applejack.
Knight of Meraud Tirost drifts southwest.
Ollythander exclaims to Elore in a polished accent, "Oh wow thanks!"
Ollythander tries to eat a snifter of Arthe Dale applejack.
Elore grins at Ollythander.
Elore laughs!
Ollythander takes a sip of his applejack.
Ollythander takes a sip of his applejack.
Illiya ponders.
Ollythander takes a sip of his applejack.
Elore gets a gold-plated gryphon accented with scarlet rubies from inside her backpack.
Ollythander exclaims in a polished accent, "Warm and spicy, I like it!"
Illiya grins at Ollythander, her dimples flashing into view.
Elore puts her gryphon in her festive bag.
Ollythander takes a sip of his wine.
Ollythander puts his wine in a rugged white backpack.
Couri recites:
"You step forward, and the knife seems to leap into your hand. You grip it and are surprised at the pressure against the blade, as though the knife is held under a strong current. Something snags the edge, and your hand goes cold! The whispers follow - three vines spreading across the land, a cable composed of three strands woven together, a fire slowly burning a spiral of mirror-like material. You blink, and realize the knife is hovering once again in between the pinchers"
Casari stops you from following her.
Casari says, "It's almost morning, so I'm going home."
Ollythander exclaims in a polished accent, "Seems like pushing it gave us some clues!"
Casari says, "Thanks for helping, folks who helped."
Illiya hugs Casari, getting a smile in return.
Casari hugs Illiya, getting a smile in return.
Casari waves.
Maraisel waves to Casari.
Ollythander waves.
Illiya waves to Casari.
Elore waves to Casari.
Firehawk Casari goes southwest.
Illiya hugs Elore, getting a smile in return.
Elore hugs Illiya, getting a smile in return.
Illiya gets a banana tart from inside her encompassing shadows.
Elore puts her riste in her wrist purse.
Illiya offers Ollythander a banana tart.
Ollythander accepts Illiya's banana tart.
Ollythander says in a polished accent, "Ooo a tart too."
Ollythander takes a bite of the tart.
Illiya hugs Ollythander, who wraps his arms around Illiya with a warm smile.
Illiya grins at Ollythander, her dimples flashing into view.
Ollythander hugs Illiya, getting a smile in return.
Illiya waves.
Ollythander puts his tart in his tart pouch.
Ollythander waves to Illiya.
Illiya says, "Good day everyone."
Strawberry Nurse Illiya goes southwest.