GM Rat Sass's Age of Worms

Game Master Governayle

Eidi shrugs as Manzorian dismisses the discussion about what the Wind Dukes might wish or play in all this story. "I will need five days to craft the largest holding bag"

After the conversation Eidi buys a large amount of incense, for no less than 500 gold pieces. That night, the elder prepares his room with the single light of a large candle, and helps the group to accommodate at a place they can assist with the ritual "I will be the channel through the whole ritual. So if just you have a question to add, just speak up and I will channel it for the gods to listen."

The half-elf spreads the incense in a circle and sits in the middle, his legs crossed "It is important you do remain respectful for the whole time. I think I am powerful enough to hold the communion for one minute. That means we should be able to ask up to ten questions. But they should be clearly answered by a YES or NO" Eidi then starts praying during a quarter hour, requesting the required spell. He then starts singing and moving his hands in intricate movements as he casts commune for ten minutes. At a certain moment his body combs and he opens his eyes full with calm.

1 "Is the World in danger by Kyuss, Dragotha or the Ebon Triad?"

2 "Is leaving the fragment of the Rod with Manzorian a good curse of action?"

3 "Shall we look to gather all the fragments of the Rod?"

4 "Shall we travel now to the Spire of Shadows?"

6 questions remaining

"Yet again I wonder why we can't contact the agents of the Wind Spirit Drake Druid and see what they want to us to do with the Rod. Seems like that would be the easy answer, I think. Maybe they want it back. It's theirs if they want it. Is there a way we can ask, Mr. Archmage?" Solrisa asks the power archmage in the room.

Mortimer continues to fume in silence. Eventually Solrisa's words register. Wind Spirit Drake Druid? He looks at Solrisa quizzically.

"The dead have no say in the business of the living. If you seek rationalization, perhaps you should consult with a third party. I sense mistrust among you, so I will refrain from offering any undue influence in your decisions."

So he's taking his know-it-all ball and going home? He's only after making a name for himself! He should be ashamed! Mortimer turns to Eidi. "Let us not let Allustan lose."

He shoots look to Celeste and Eligos in acknowledgement before abruptly taking his leave.

~~~

"I say we each chip in a grand in gold, and have Eidi make the largest one. That'll let us carry 1500 pounds of food, water, and other assorted sundries. It'll weigh 60lbs, but I'm sure Mort here can carry it. It'll be all he needs to carry instead of assorted stuff piled all over." He looks to the big man and grins.

"I am the Ultimate Bag of Holding," Mortimer states. "Can you loan me $1000 gnome?" he says, grinning back and winking.

~

"The jungle is full of monkeys and carnivorous plants. Any means of controlling that will be of use in our trip" Eidi coughs a bit "That will be the easy part anyway if what Manzorian says about the Spire is true"

"If that is all, I will move in. I would like to finish crafting and readying spells before we trip"

Mortimer rattles off his thoughts as if reading from a check list.

"I think the next time those little Devil things come after us, we need to target the one called Imaxian. If we can keep him from running away maybe we can find out who sent him. If it was Rankian, maybe we can find out where he is -- I suspect it would be good to know. Maybe he is carrying a rod fragment, too."

...
"And I, uh -- I suppose I could use the short sword as a machete..."

...
He turns to Solrisa. "Wind Spirit Drake Druid? What's that? Is it the same as 'Duke' ?"

...
"Oh yea!" he exclaims, suddenly remembering something. "And can anyone stock up on this 'Mind Blank' thing?"

Mortimer folds his legs under his body, sits and pulls his LizardFolk Headband down over his eyes.

"I would like to know if the activity and plans of Rankian and Kendra are the more immediate threat to Golarion in this timeline than the activity at the Kuluth-Mar Temple."

I think the incense should come out of group funds, is everyone OK with that? We’ve some books to sell anyway - no need to carry them into the jungle.

”Questions, questions huh? Hrm.” Ascaria thinks hard and has trouble coming up with ideas that aren’t already answered by Eidi’s questions.

”•) In our last meeting with Manzorian, was he truthful?

•) Is Balkarde likely to be truthful with us should we meet him?“

He shrugs grinning, ”Well we might meet him someday, and I’d like a sense of what the gods think of his honesty.”

"I am the Ultimate Bag of Holding," Mortimer states. "Can you loan me $1000 gnome?" he says, grinning back and winking.

Ascaria looks nervously at the big man, worried for having failed him. "I, er, well, I can loan you 500-600gp or so, but that's it after I put in my grand. Will that help?"

He totally missed the wink.

”Not dead people, exactly, sure. I have a couple of questions.”

— Is it safe for us to trust Manzorian?

— If Manzorian keeps the fragment will it benefit the devils who are trying to steal it?

Also, is Acid Splash useful for clearing jungle brush?

"And can anyone stock up on this 'Mind Blank' thing?”

”That’s well beyond my pay grade and to get a scroll for each day we are away is more than we have.”

"I, er, well, I can loan you 500-600gp or so, but that's it after I put in my grand. Will that help?”

”I can loan you the grand, Mort.”

"Wind Spirit Drake Druid? What's that? Is it the same as 'Duke' ?"

Sol spins to look at Mort, her face asmile and adelight, but also confused by the question.

"Was that not his name? Did I get it wrong?" Solrisa's hand goes to cover her oopsy-doopsy smile. "I was close though, right?"

* * *

Solrisa claps her hands for each new question asked, thinking it a very smart and good question. The ones she might offer have been taken and so offers none of her own.

Solrisa has money to offer and will happy to chip in for the incense.

The wise half-elf petitions entities greater in age and knowledge than the oldest stones of the mountains and the deepest waters of the oceans. He calls on Aroden, and those who hear his call, respond. Eidi begins to both ask, and answer, though his voice changes in each reply, as the upper and lower vocal chords in his throat create a dual-voice.

"Is the World in danger by Kyuss, Dragotha or the Ebon Triad?"

"Yes."

"Is leaving the Fragment of the Rod with Manzorian a good course of action?"

"Yes."

"Shall we look to gather all the Fragments of the Rod?"

"No."

"Shall we travel now to the Spire of Long Shadows?"

"Yes."

"Are the activity and plans of Raknian and Kendra the more immediate threat to Golarion in this timeline than the activity in Kuluth-Mar?"

"No."

"In our last meeting with Manzorian, was he truthful?"

"Yes."

"Is Balkarde likely to be truthful with us, should we meet him?"

"Unclear."

"Is it safe for us to trust Manzorian?"

"Yes."

"If Manzorian keeps the Fragment will it benefit the devils who are trying to steal it?"

"No."

The possibility of one last question is lost to time, as the half-elf returns to full, singular consciousness.

Ascaria looks nervously at the big man, worried for having failed him. "I, er, well, I can loan you 500-600gp or so, but that's it after I put in my grand. Will that help?"

He totally missed the wink.

Mortimer cocks his head in surprise at Ascaria.

"I can loan you the grand, Mort."

Mortimer shifts his gaze to Eri eyebrow raised, then back to Ascaria.

"Relax, Ascaria -- I was only kidding -- of course I have the grand to spare. In that case, should we hang on to the Mule Back Cords?"

He turns back to Eri. "Thanks to you too -- too bad about the Mind Blank thing -- don't worry about it," he says cheerily.

"I was close though, right?"

Sure, why not? Mortimer shrugs. "'Wind Spirit Drake Druid' sounds about right."

~~~

The wise half-elf petitions entities greater in age and knowledge than the oldest stones of the mountains and the deepest waters of the oceans. [...] The possibility of one last question is lost to time, as the half-elf returns to full, singular consciousness.

Sensing a change in the ambiance, Mortimer remains sitting and places his LizardFolk Headband back onto his head. He looks sheepishly around the room.

"Sorry, everyone. I guess I blew it, with regards to the -- uh -- piece of the rod we found and Manzorian. I guess this means we should re-seek audience with him. But -- all but I should go. Take The Rod -- I don't think Manzorian would ever want to see the likes of me again." He hangs his head.

When Mort lets him off the hook for the loan he relaxes. Whew. He offered the loan to the big man when he had the cash, and felt very bad that he couldn't make good on it. He chuckles as he sees the joke played on him, though he's slow to see it.

When the half-elf reveals what the gods believe, he whistles low, "Wedge of Swans, I thought for sure I was getting a bad vibe off that guy by the end. I mean, he asks us to trust him blindly with the most powerful thing we've ever found, and we can't even carry our gear into his presence!"

"Sure, maybe the guy has a reason to be paranoid, but still. No, Mort, you should definitely come with us. We may have been wrong not to trust him more than we did, but that's no reason to make an enemy of the man. Frankly, if he doesn't move past this trifle, I'll be wondering about his sanity next!" the gnome laughs and hopes Mort will join them. After all, who will carry the rod if he doesn't?

Still working on the list for the jungle. Should be up today.

Solrisa claps and cheers with each answer, often shouting out her guess before the answer is revealed and is wrong more often than not. Either way, it's a delightful game to her and she smiles merrily and cheers happily.

"Oh! That was great! We know so much more now! We know what we should do!"

"Pity."

"Mort, listen! You should come! It's good to admit your mistakes! It's like that time that Rae broke Mum's favorite glass and she admitted to Mum that I did it which was good because admitting the mistake rather than lying about it is wrong," Solrisa explains morality to Mort.

"Don't worry, Mort. I'll be with you and protect you. I'm very good at protecting and supporting."

Solrisa is also happy to take the Rod to Manzorian if Mort really won't go.

Ascaria spends some time in thought, making notes in charcoal on a scrap of paper. ”Maybe we should get a wand of Endure Elements. That will last us 10 days if the heat’s as bad as I fear it may be. I should, with a little luck, be able to cast the spell by then. With Eidi’s help, we can even extend that two or four days. Also, it’s going to be wet, so how about a portable campfire? Anyway, here’s what I propose to get…”

”We’ll sell these books for the wand and campfire bead, and get a little walking around money as well, though not too much.” He pays Eidi his 1,000gp toward the bag of holding also.

Eidi attempts a last question before the communion ends "Shall I add cinnamon to my cookies receipt?" he looks to one side and the other expectant and unsure if the question went through the spell's time span.

The elder breaths deep before commenting on the results "It seems we are faithfully guided by Manzorian here." the half-elf shrugs "Well, let's prepare for the trip then. We will hand the fragment to the archmage I guess"

The rest of the journey Eidi works on Solrisa's bracers, polishing its silver to a mirror degree "One more day and they will be complete" the half-elf comments during supper.

"With the help of the Rod of extend spell I can provide endure elements for the group all the time we need there" Eidi tries to calm Ascaria on the heat resistance regards.

"What happened between Manzorian and Allustan anyway?"

"No, Mort, you should definitely come with us. We may have been wrong not to trust him more than we did, but that's no reason to make an enemy of the man."

Enemy? "Not an enemy, no. But... he certainly could have been more helpful. What should I do? Go to the Bridge and knock?"

"Mort, listen! You should come! It's good to admit your mistakes! It's like that time that Rae broke Mum's favorite glass and she admitted to Mum that I did it which was good because admitting the mistake rather than lying about it is wrong,"

Mortimer looks at Solrisa dumbstruck once again. Is that a fancy way of saying I'm making no sense? "Sol -- look... Did you break the glass? No, you said Rae broke the glass. So if you admitted that you broke the glass as narrated by Rae's lie, how is that not also lying?, You DID admit to a mistake though, when you apologized for not being there when Ascaria and I were attacked by devils here in Magepoint, and for that I thank you."

Mortimer shrugs. "O.K., so let's try going back, if he'll even have us." He starts heading back for the bridge, pausing a moment to address Eidi.

"'Cinnamon'? What's that?! If it's anything like licorice you should definitely add it!"

"Trust Manzorian"

"Shall we leave the shard with him? Or should we give it to him? I am more inclined to give him the thing. It's been nothing but trouble for us and now that we have some corroborating evidence that we can trust him, let's let him have it. I do wonder what his beef with Allustan is."

"With the help of the Rod of extend spell I can provide endure elements for the group all the time we need there" Eidi tries to calm Ascaria on the heat resistance regards.

"That's great Eidi, that'll save us some cash - thanks. I should be able to help you as well in time." He takes out the rod of extend, "Here, I really don't use this anymore now I'm not casting Bless with any frequency. Why don't you keep it?" He hands it over to the old man.

Mortimer shrugs. "O.K., so let's try going back, if he'll even have us." He starts heading back for the bridge, pausing a moment to address Eidi.

"Hang on a second Mort, it's like one in the morning. Let's let the mage sleep and talk to him further tomorrow, if he'll see us. Besides, Eri raises a good question. Do we loan him the rod for now and see how it goes? Or do we sell it to him outright and hope he does the right thing with it?"

"The gods have said leaving the rod with him is a good course of action, but that could be short term - we didn't ask the follow up. He was honest with us, and it is safe to trust him as well, but the rod may yet have a role to play."

"It feels like we can sell it, but maybe not. What do you all think?"

Solrisa seems content to give the Rod to Manzorian as she knows that there is not room for two competing worries right now. The devils and protecting in the way of stopping Kyuss. The Rod, unused until now as far as Sol remembers, isn't what the party needs.

"I think we should give him the Rod," Solrisa says solemnly, trying to focus on one mission at a time.

Eidi smiles to Ascaria "Thanks Ascaria. I think it will be enough with mine, but if needed at some point we can also use yours to endure ourselves"

The half-elf nods in agreement with handing the Rod "That is a dangerous artifact. If it shall be save in Manzorian hands, then I say the farthest from our hands, the better. Let's hand it to him as soon as possible"

Sorry about the delay. Silly day.

"Hang on a second Mort, it's like one in the morning. Let's let the mage sleep and talk to him further tomorrow, if he'll see us. Besides, Eri raises a good question. Do we loan him the rod for now and see how it goes? Or do we sell it to him outright and hope he does the right thing with it?"

"I think we should give him the Rod,"

"That is a dangerous artifact. If it shall be save in Manzorian hands, then I say the farthest from our hands, the better. Let's hand it to him as soon as possible"

Mortimer stops in his tracks, head down and shoulders slumping in resignation and fatigue. "Do you really think Manzorian going to sleep tonight, Ascaria? Because I know I'm not."

"Do you want to risk the waiting? I hope Manzorian hasn't already moved on, because if he has -- being who he is -- he might not have the time for us tomorrow. We shouldn't sell it to him though, it seems like an item above bartering over for sure."

He looks ruefully at the Haversack, current Home of The Rod.

"Hrm, he is twitchy and may be up still." Ascaria worries that Mort and Eidi are right. The rudeness of calling at 1am might well be overshadowed by Manzorian's desire to get the rod in his hands. After all, he doesn't want devils crashing his village at all hours of the day and night.

"Fine. So we're loaning it to him for now, right? See how it goes?"

He nods and follows the others back out into the dark streets. He taps his hatband to light their way and hopes they're not intruding further on the man's time without cause.

He approaches the castle, sure that the guards will stop them and carry their message.

Solrisa nods and goes with Ascaria to loan the Rod, though she would just give it to him for now.

Later, if it was important to use the Rod to find more of the Rod, then they could focus on that.

"Shall I add cinnamon to my cookies receipt?"

"Yes, or green cardamom."

Eidi's voice returns to its normal, pleasant timber.

...

The mortal discussion that ensues following the consultation with the divine reaches a clear agreement to engage with the Archmage, posthaste, and a tentative agreement to allow the Archmage custodial rights to the Fragment.

The Bridge is much less inviting this time. The half mile you walk is unmuted, as you feel the full exposure of the bay winds and the waters' mists. This trek ensures that you are thoroughly damp by the time you reach the closed Gate.

It only takes a moment before you are ushered into the courtyard, where you wait until your entrance is once again permitted. Same desk, same room by all appearances, though gone are Celeste and Eligos for this meeting.

After ten minutes' time, Manzorian enters and takes his place at the desk. "I will admit, I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon. Did you have further questions?"

"Fine. So we're loaning it to him for now, right? See how it goes?"

Mortimer exhales through his nose sharply in slight annoyance. "Either way -- give/Loan. If we were destined or whatever to possess the Rod, AND if It truely has a will of Its own as Manzorian said," Mortimer pauses for breath, "then I would expect It to find Its way back to us."

He wordlessly turns and resumes his march back toward the stone bridge that leads to the Archmage's fortress.

"I will admit, I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon. Did you have further questions?"

"Oh! We want you to have the Rod, if you still want it!" Solrisa smiles brightly and cheerily to the Archmage. She pauses a moment then explains more. "As it turns out, it's not so hard to speak to the servants of the divine to get answers like this! I didn't know it for sure, but it might be a good thing to research seeing as you're a very smart Archmage and all. It might be helpful for you knowing more stuff. And, if you're like me, you like learning!"

Solrisa offers him the Rod with a smile.

""I will admit, I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon. Did you have further questions?"

"Yes, for the time being -- we've changed our mind and have opted to leave the rod with you as a loan. To hang on to, so we can be free of Devil spawn following us where ever we go while we continue our quest to vanquish the Kyuss Chaos and cronies for the cause."

Mortimer rolls his eyes at the alliteration. Did I have to sound like that? Whatever.

He gently takes the Rod out of the Haversack and places it on the Archmage's desk, or Manzorian's hands if they're offered. "I just want to know -- what exactly are you going to do with it?"

"We have had consultations and after discussing the topic we have concluded we can trust on you to carry this heavy burden" Eidi gives Manzorian a nod of acknowledgement.

"Thanks for meeting with us so late, but we" he looks at Mort and Eidi, "figured you'd want it right away, rather than wait until morning. I hope we're not disturbing you."

He smiles tiredly and hopes this meeting goes smoother than the first. There's still something about the mage that sets Ascaria off a little, but what's good for Aroden, is good enough for him. And as Mort said, we'll end up with it again eventually if that's its will.

Manzorian nods to those who speak on trust and practicality.

"I just want to know -- what exactly are you going to do with it?"

The Archmage takes the Fragment from Mortimer, and considers the man's question. "I have some loose ends to tie up first, before I can dedicate time to its study, but I intend to investigate those who have the advantage of knowing the Fragment's location, and apparently who bears it. I expect to learn the wisdom of those who bear the smaller Fragments in short order, possibly striking back when they make themselves known. For now, though, it will rest in a special chamber of my Vaults."

Manzorian looks at the Fragment briefly, before continuing. "This chamber moves about, you see. I expect this to frustrate the hunters, especially those who can not travel the planes with ease. Agath and I will turn our focus on leads to sightings of the smaller Fragments with time in the Temple, as well as invest time in consulting our information-gathering network abroad."

The Archmage looks to Mortimer, waiting to hear if anything further is required in his explanation.

...

Returning to Magepoint, your late night/early morning turns into late morning, when you are invited to brunch, before you leave for the market, and the acquisitions you wish to make prior to departure for the Mwangi Expanse. Consider aforementioned desired purchases to have concluded this day.

You are left to decide when to visit Agath in the Library Temple, for the facilitation of your travel to the Screaming Jungle.

Who invited us to brunch?

Ascaria puts on his robe and collects his other things during the course of the day, but mostly he rests, and tries to mentally prepare himself for a jungle. He's never been outside his own village before all this started, and such a journey frightens him a little. The fact that the whole party is going, and that they'll be well equipped, eases his mind somewhat.

"I suggest we leave in the morning, after breakfast. Should we visit Agath this afternoon to let him know so he can prepare? I'm not really sure what he's going to do for us." he looks to the others for suggestions. He doesn't want to waste Agath's time.

Solrisa nods and smiles at Ascaria's very good idea to visit Agath. She feels relieved to have the burden of the Rod off her shoulders.

When others are ready, she will go visit Agath to figure out what's what.

The Archmage looks to Mortimer, waiting to hear if anything further is required in his explanation.

Mortimer meets the man eye-to-eye and nods in satisfaction with the Archmage's explanation.

He retreats to his room and rests his now very weary head.

Mortimer joins the others at brunch, and quietly listens to the mid-morning banter.

"I suggest we leave in the morning, after breakfast. Should we visit Agath this afternoon to let him know so he can prepare? I'm not really sure what he's going to do for us."

"I think it is probably best we visit Agath just before we head off to The Screaming Jungle."

Eri looks after his hammock mending whatever needs it. He tries to find hammocks for everybody just in case and puts them in the communal bag of holding if there's space. He spends the downtime happily taking in the peace before being thrust into the maw of evil once again.

Almost forgot. After selling the books, and a couple minor party expenses, we have a distribution of 256gp each.

"Sol, wait, Mort's right. We'll visit Agath in the morning. I don't want to see him more than I have to anyway." he grins.

Ascaria spends the evening relaxing, again trying to mentally prepare himself for the jungle. He’s looking forward to the journey though. Traveling through the clouds, as a cloud, was a special experience for him. Flying at such speeds! He knew he should be worried - after all he couldn’t see much more than the clouds and blue sky immediately around them - but he had such faith in his companions, that that fear never really occurs to him.

He rises early that morning and prepares breakfast for the group. Ascaria then ensorcels the shields of the party (Sol, Mort, Ascaria) and provides a sumptuous breakfast repast. He'll then watch over his friends and refresh everyones Life Link just in case...
Magic Vestment (+3 for 13 hours)
Heroes' Feast (temporary hp: 1d8 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9)
Status (Eidi, Eri, Mort, & Sol)

Solrisa says "Sure," and relaxes a bit. She's just so ready to fight more evil, it's hard to get her to stop and enjoy the peaceful little town.

Solrisa spends the night polishing her armor, and her Mort-given shiny shield. She will sparkle brilliantly on her way to tromping through the mud in the jungle.

"I think it is probably best we visit Agath just before we head off to The Screaming Jungle."

Solrisa agrees, seems almost about to say something, but then doesn't. She just happily agrees as she wanted to go last night, but this morning is fine too. After pancakes.

The Outcasts gather unto themselves what is theirs, and eventually travel to the Library Temple at the beginning of the afternoon. Upon announcing their appointment with Agath, the gang is escorted to a small office on the first floor of the Temple, where Agath times his arrival, likely prompted by the acolytes at the entry.

A long table serves as a desk, of sorts, but it strikes you as more communal, as many people can sit around it in collective consultation. On the desk sits Balakarde's journal, as well as the expedition map of Balakarde's journey to the Screaming Jungle.

"Welcome. I expect you have fully equipped yourselves...?" Agath doesn't wait overly long before he continues. He picks up two scrolls resting alongside the journal, and hands them to Eidi. "Alright, then. The map has been keyed to the location. It provides you the anchor for your travel to the ruins, given the Scrolls provided by the Archmage."

Two Scrolls of Greater Teleport.

"When you are ready."

Agath steps towards the opposite end of the table, and observes your departure.

Caster Level Check: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

Eidi effortlessly brings the Greater Teleport to bear upon the group, while his elven eyes study the painstakingly-created map.

...

From the cool interior of a grand Library, to the humid exterior of a darkened jungle, your senses reel from the sudden cacophony of the canopy, and the pungent aroma of dead foliage slowly composting below your feet.

Within minutes, you experience your first tropical rain. It only lasts for twenty minutes, but you are well and truly soaked by its finish.

Chirping birds, cries of hunting predators, and the incessant whir of insects eventually resumes, and combine to create an exotic song. The plants of the jungle press in, a wall of color and plant-life interrupted only by a twenty-foot gap in the undergrowth that looks out over an immense, bowl-shaped valley.

In this valley sits a ruined city. The buildings are in most cases little more than crumbling foundations overgrown with vines. In places, small copses of exotic trees have reclaimed the ruins, while elsewhere, some buildings still stand. The city’s streets are visible only as faint lines where the undergrowth hasn’t grown as thick. Yet as incredible the spectacle of this forgotten city is, it is dwarfed by what dominates its center.

Here, a giant ring of black rock circles the heart of the city, runes graven upon its surface. Within this ring rises an ancient stone ziggurat. Two openings into chambers within beckon on opposite sides of its base. Atop the ziggurat rises an unbelievable sight, a towering spire of stone shaped almost like a stylized tree or cactus. Arms project from the sides of the stone spire in mocking defiance of gravity, either a feat of divine engineering or the product of powerful magic. The apex of the spire is missing. Whatever rested at this forgotten peak is long gone.

Welcome to the Spire of Long Shadows.

TL;DR Mage armor, detect scry, message

As we move toward the Spire, Eri is enthralled by the jungle and struggles to keep up with the party. He stares at the canopy and listens to the noises. He then watches the ground as they move and smells the earth, probably running into whoever is in from of him when the stop at the spire.

"Thank you Agath, this will save us quite a bit of travel. We appreciate it." he even manages a smile for the man who doesn't like them as he readies himself for the jungle. Or tries to...

Ooof!

The reality is quite a different thing however. His world, typically small with a visual range of just 60' or so. It feels even smaller as the flora, fauna, and heat all overwhelm the gnome for a bit on the other side. He struggles to breathe in the close air. Surprisingly, the bugs don't seem to bother him, at least initially, but the oppressive heat and humidity really throw him for a loop as he sweats.

"Eidi, the Endure Elements spell... please!" he begs as sweat pours from every pour.

He checks everyone's status, reforges any life links that may have been severed by the experience, and generally makes ready to proceed.

"Do you guys see anything? Are we close or do we need to travel a bit yet? We could fly if we need to." he suggests unknowing.

The rest of the day Eidi works in Solrisa's bracers. The elder insists in the woman to come into his room, where he gives the last touches, adjusting the piece of rich crafting to the wrists of the sacred warrior "We finished the work just on time. They look gorgeous in your arms Solrisa"

--------------

As the spell is completed and the scroll crumbles down to dust Eidi contemplates the marble of the jungle in front. Without hesitation he starts casting endure elements spells on everyone, using his rod to extend the duration to 48 hours for Ascaria, Mortimer and Eri. He uses two of his pearls to recover the spell two of the times.

Once the group examines the Spire from afar he grows confident "It does not look that menacing. Perhaps we can just fly into the apex and discover what is missing there up, but we might want to take a more stealthy approach through land so no one can see us coming." he nods to himself "Or we can just fly invisible up to the top"

"Welcome. I expect you have fully equipped yourselves...?"

Nope. I forgot my hands back at the Eye...

Eidi effortlessly brings the Greater Teleport to bear upon the group, while his elven eyes study the painstakingly-created map.

Aaaah.... what the ...?! Mortimer sees the Library twist in front of him into a whorlpool before splitting into the colors of the visible spectrum. The whirling color jets almost immediately resolve themselves into the semblance of a dense dark wet forest. It feels to him like every atom of his body is taken apart before being reassmbled, and he drops to his knees involuntarily as the Party arrives in the Jungle.

He quickly stands back up to see everyone eyeing him with a look of concern. "What?" he says, as if he was a well-seasoned traveller of Greater Teleport after all. "Oh -- look at that!" he says, deliberately changing the subject and pointing to the structure atop the ziggurat. "I wouldn't want to be near that in a thunderstorm. It looks like a specialized tuning fork!"

He looks at everyone. "I wonder if we can shatter it if we sing the right harmonics," he says, winking.

"It does not look that menacing. Perhaps we can just fly into the apex and discover what is missing there up, but we might want to take a more stealthy approach through land so no one can see us coming." he nods to himself "Or we can just fly invisible up to the top"

Mortimer halts his advance on the Ziggurat, and leaps to grab a tree branch on which he begins chin ups. "Couldn't we just take the stairs? I think I myself would prefer taking the stairs."

Ascaira, much relieved by the reduction in heat, even if the humidity still causes his shirt to stick a little, it was much better. "Thank you Eidi! That's GREAT!"

"OK, Let's take the stairs. I don't know what we'll face here, but let's save our spells for the heavy stuff. We might need to get out in a hurry and hide - and we can use air walk and invisibility then."

He grins, tosses a Light on his hatband anticipating darkness within. He has another spell planned, but wants to save it for now, though he is playing with a hatpin in anticipation. He's eager to get inside and discover what can be found.

He moves forward with the group.

"We finished the work just on time. They look gorgeous in your arms Solrisa"

Solrisa smiles big as she tries on the bracers, giving Eidi a big hug. "Oh Eidi, they are lovely! They are perfect. I love them!" She dances around in her new bracers, shiny plate armor, and shiny mithral shield. She thinks she looks lovely, like a silver dragon...and wishes her Mum was here to see this.

"These are going to be great, Eidi! I'll think of you every time I think of evil!"

* * *

-LC,+EE.

Solrisa casts Endure Elements to ensure that she is comfortable in her armor less the heat take the smile out of her step.

"Is anyone else hot? Does someone need some relief?" Solrisa offers an Endure Elements if someone needs it...but then sees that Eidi has it covered and let's the offer to unnoticed.

Solrisa doesn't seem too fazed by the teleports. Her Mum had been whisking all over the world for a while and doesn't consider to be a big deal...but knows that to be able to cast it *is* a big deal because she cannot. She smiles happily as she is whooshed into the jungle.

"Do you want to race to the stairs, Mort! I'll race you!" Solrisa asks the big man, knowing that she'll probably lose, but happy that Mort will probably win, which means that she'll win too. She, as usual, has no fear.

He has another spell planned, but wants to save it for now, though he is playing with a hatpin in anticipation.

Mortimer glances down at Ascaria, curious as to what the little guy is planning.

"Do you want to race to the stairs, Mort! I'll race you!"

Mortimer drops from the tree and looks at the stairs leading up the into the Ziggurat in the distance. "I would like, but Sol -- we shouldn't waste our energy. I think we should all stay close together as a group for now."

Assuming everyone's O.K. with heading up the stairs, Mortimer heads up the stairs keeping pace with the slower members of the party.

Eidi smiles cheerful "Ok, let's see what those stairs hold then" he casts a mage armor to protect himself, then says 'shirak' while touching his staff head and it suddenly lights with orange rays that add to Ascaria's own colors.

The elder advances closing the group formation, ready to defend Eri and Ascaria if danger comes from the back.
Survival: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8
Perception: 1d20 + 18 ⇒ (13) + 18 = 31

"Solrisa, may I have some barkskin, please?" Mortimer asks the Barkskin Wandbearer sweetly.

"Oh! YES!" Solrisa smiles as she produces the wand of Barkskin. She is delighted to be reminded the wand exists and that she gets to share it with Mort.

She taps him, then herself with it. She strides up the stairs.

"Oh, exploring is my favorite! I wonder what is inside!" She makes sure her shield is ready, her transformed Sword of Aqaa in hand, she strides on.

The jungle proves to be less than accommodating in your forward movement, as you spend time winding through the trees and vines, and avoiding mud slicks on unfortunate sloping ground. Eventually, you enter the ancient ruins, officially, from the southwest. The ground to the south of the central ziggurat is now mostly swamp, encouraging you to maintain your footing by swinging in more directly from the west.

As you step foot among the ruins, your vision hazes...

The ruins of Kuluth-Mar seem to be suffused with a strange taint that hovers just beyond the edges of reality. Like an oily stain spreading over a pool, a vision wavers in the air. Within the tainted energy is a man seated on a great throne made of green stone. He wears ornate plate armor, and a black circlet rests on his brow. Both the circlet and armor are adorned with silver symbols—an overlapping skull and scythe. The vision expands, widening its scope to reveal that the throne is located at the apex of the large ziggurat and in the shadow of the spire. The spire itself gleams with flashes of white light, and at its peak is balanced a fifteen-foot-tall black stone monolith shaped like a trapezoid. Around the ziggurat spreads a thriving city, its streets paved in white stone, its buildings painted and whole. Thousands of figures have gathered in the large open plaza that surrounds the ziggurat, all facing the figure seated at its center. Their cries are a rhythmic chant, surging like waves on the monolith’s shore. As these cries rise in volume, threatening to shake the jungle apart, the vision fades and is replaced by the ruined city of today...

Eidi advances holding his tunic up in order to avoid the mud, which leaves a not very pleasant sight of his skinny and wrinkly legs.

K. religion DC 20: 1d20 + 22 ⇒ (17) + 22 = 39
"The man wears an archaic symbol of Abraxas, Master of the Final Incantation, Demon Lord of Forbidden Lore and Magic." the half-elf shrugs as the vision dismisses "A Demon Lord Tyrant of a city, no wonder is now at ruins. I am not sure if I want to know about the horrible and painful way all those followers died..."

The elder keeps advancing with the group, keeping attention at every corner, expecting the souls of the once followers to assault the group at any moment while they try to reach the stairs.

The internet disconnected itself as I pressed go on yesterday’s post and I forgot to redo it. Sorry about that.

”Thanks for the Endure Elements. I didn’t how how much the heat was bothering me until it was gone.”

"A Demon Lord Tyrant of a city, no wonder is now at ruins. I am not sure if I want to know about the horrible and painful way all those followers died…”

Eri’s smile fades as he nods at Eidi’s observation. ”Let’s see if what’s in there that we can clean up.”

Eri begins walking with the group.

After shaking her head to lose the vision, Solrisa nods as Eidi explains about Abraxus, as she was thinking the same thing.

"Oh, Eidi, vision!" Solrisa rubs her blue eyes, her blonde hair clacking back and forth.

She moves up, walking with Mort.

"I wonder what happened to all the people? Did the jungle eat all this place?"

At the first sight of the man, Mortimer draws the lightning shortsword, then relaxes a little when he realizes that it's just an illusion.

... As these cries rise in volume, threatening to shake the jungle apart, the vision fades and is replaced by the ruined city of today...

Mortimer remembers to breathe.

"A Demon Lord Tyrant of a city, no wonder is now at ruins. I am not sure if I want to know about the horrible and painful way all those followers died..."

"I wonder what happened to all the people? Did the jungle eat all this place?"

Mortimer remains motionless, thinking. "But why did the vision linger so? What if it's not a past thing,but a goal for someone's future?" He nods to Eri. "Either way -- What if there are lingering -- but tangible and harmful residual entities of Forbidden Lore and Magic within? Before we go in, let's make sure we're prepared -- we can't let this sort of thing fester."

Short Sword drawn, he quickly checks his inventory then tries to pick the cleanest way over to the entrance.

Perception: 1d20 + 20 ⇒ (2) + 20 = 22 +2more for inviso etc

Ascaria nods, "Future or past, that guy is creepy. Did you see the worm in his hands? That can't be good."

He'll walk with the others up the stairs and to the entrance.