Know (planes)
Ami's eyes widen. Not at the creatures, but in sudden realization.
"MAH-DEE!! MAH-DEE! I KNOW WHERE WE ARE!" Ami says excitedly. "MAH-DDEEEEEE!!! I KNOW!!!"
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"Oh?" Mahdi says distractedly. "Where do you think we are? Also, these are brass men. Most magic aimed directly at them will fail, unless you have spells of cold.... or I can just trip them."
He gestures, and a patch of greasy floor appears beneath one of the constructs. "They'll probably puke molten metal on you but my protections should help somewhat against that."
The brass man falls to the ground with a clanging sound. The northern brass man clangs forward, not quite reaching Ami before or it spits forth molten brass toward Ami / Yeen and Pent.
Round One: Pent and Ami now acting.
Round 1, Init 15
"MAAAHH-DEEE!! WE ARE NEAR THE CITY OF BRASS! I KNOW IT! I KNOW!" Ami says as if that means something even
Ami defensively casts Divine Favor as Yeen steps in to tear and rend at the brass creature.
Concentration vs. DC 17
Yeen:
to hit; (bite,DF)
damage.
CMD
to hit; (claw,DF)
damage.
to hit; (claw,DF)
damage.
to hit; (claw,DF)
damage.
ACs: Ami: 26 Yeen: 23+4+4=31 (barkskin, mage armor)
HP: Ami:75/75; Yeen: 90/90
Ami:
[ dice]1d20+10+1[/dice] to hit; (slingstaff, melee,bless)
[ dice]1d6+2[/dice] damage.
[ dice]1d20+5+1[/dice] to hit; (slingstaff, melee,bless)
[ dice]1d6+2[/dice] damage.
Yeen:
[ dice]1d20+13+2+1[/dice] to hit; (bite,DF,bless)
[ dice]1d6+8+2[/dice] damage.
[ dice]1d20+14+1[/dice] CMB to grab
[ dice]1d20+14+2+1[/dice] to hit; (claw,DF,bless)
[ dice]1d4+8+2[/dice] damage.
[ dice]1d20+14+2+1[/dice] to hit; (claw,DF,bless)
[ dice]1d4+8+2[/dice] damage.
Lvl 1: 2/8 used (DF*1,EE*0,AibBub*0)
Lvl 2: 2/7 used (barkskin*1,CMW*0)
Lvl 3: 2/7 used (mag vest*2,MCfE*1)
Lvl 4: 2/6 used (AirWalk*2,DivPower*0,Grove)
Lvl 5: 0/4 used (CLWmass*0,FlameStrike*0)
Extend Rod: 3/3 used (mag vest*2, barkskin)
Yeen.: Mage Armor,DF,Barkskin,SoF,MCPfE10
Ami:
Round 1, Init 15
AC = 13
HP = 59/59
Weapon Equipped = +1 Light Crossbow
Condition(s) = Protection from da Heat
Pent eyeballs the new arrivals, his shoulders slumping a little when his words mean less than little to the brass men. "Do these brass men have brass balls, then? What about a brassy personality? Not liking the likely upchucking upcoming."
When Pent is regaled with molten metal, he shakes a fist, raising his arm, middle digit upraised, and he brings Sarah's Touch to this Plane.
"Half or Triple plus one? Are we supposed to count the coins, or is this a academic's number trick where they use letters and lines all over the place?"
He watches the brass men enter the room and grips Zenzirad. "Nevermind."
Teeth and claw cling against metal and are clearly hampered, though they still do some damage.
The brass man on the floor recovers its footing and approaches the group, also spewing molten metal at Aldebert, Otah, and Pent once it closes distance.
Round One: Otah now acting.
Otah dodges over to position himself nearby the brass men furthest from the combat power-halflings.
for
Otah hacks away at one of the brass man while not even his beard is singed by the molten brass. The cold of Zenzirad clearly has a harder impact on the creature while the heft of the dwarf's weapon is blunted. The southern brass man steps forward and spews molten metal at Pent and Ami. The molten metal seems to mend some of the damage on the northern most creature.
Round one: Aldebert now acting.
Round: 1, Initiative: 2
Conditions: Endure Elements (24h), Magic Vestment (+2, 4/20h), Resist Fire (20, 1/10m), Prayer
Weapon Equipped: Greatsword
GreatSword Attack BAB +10/+5, Str +2, Focus +1, Magic +1, Size +1, (Power Attack -3) Damage Str +3 (1.5x), Magic +1, (Power Attack +9 (1.5x))
Summon Mount: 1/2 (Full round)
Smite Evil: 4/4 (Swift, +4 attack, +10 damage, +4 AC)
Lay on Hands: 7/9 (Swift, 5d6 healing +1d6 if not fatigued, diseased, or poisoned)
Pearl of Power (first) 1/2
Spells (caster level 7, concentration +11, DC 14+)
1) Bed of Iron, Hero’s Defiance,
2) Mirror Image, Paladin’s Sacrifice
3)
- - -
Gretiem Lord of the Green
HP: 65/68 AC: 26 (F22/T14) (included: +4 mage armor)
Fort: 8 Reflex: 8 Will: 5 BAB: +6 CMB: 10 CMD: 23 Move: 40’
Conditions: Mage Armor (2/8h)
Tricks: Aid, Air Walk, Attack x2, Come, Defend, Deliver, Down, Fetch, Flank, Flee, Get Help, Guard, Heal, Hunt, Sneak, Stay, Watch, Work
Bite Attack BAB +6, Str +4, Amulet +1 Damage Str +6 (1.5x), Amulet +1
Reflex DC 15 for 3 or none.
(prayer)
(prayer)
Gretiem is singed by the molten metal.
Aldebert nudges Gretiem into a 5’ step next to Mahdi and he attacks two with all he can muster.
(prayer) (prayer)
(prayer) (prayer)
(prayer) (prayer)
Aldebert's great sword crushes bits of the brass man, though it continues to stand. The last brass man approaches, spewing forth liquid metal that hits Pent and Aldebert before further mending its fellow.
Round Two: Mahdi now acting.
Mahdi grimaces to be so close to the brass man. He focuses to cast defensively.
A cloud of glittering dust erupts over Three and Four.
He takes a small adjusting step, looking annoyed at these stubborn brass men.
,
The glittering dust seems to cling to the face of one of the brass men. Swinging with its sword, the brass man slices away at Ami twice, missing both times.
, (miss x2)
Round Two: Pent and Ami (w/Yeen) now acting.
Round 2, Init 15
Ami defensively casts Bull Strength as Yeen steps 5' and tears at the brass creature.
Concentration vs. DC 23
Yeen:
to hit; (bite,DF,BS,Prayer)
damage.
CMD
to hit; (bite,DF,BS,Prayer)
damage.
to hit; (bite,DF,BS,Prayer)
damage.
ACs: Ami: 26 Yeen: 23+4+4=31 (barkskin, mage armor)
HP: Ami:75/75; Yeen: 90/90
Ami:
[ dice]1d20+10+1[/dice] to hit; (slingstaff, melee,bless)
[ dice]1d6+2[/dice] damage.
[ dice]1d20+5+1[/dice] to hit; (slingstaff, melee,bless)
[ dice]1d6+2[/dice] damage.
Yeen:
[ dice]1d20+13+2+1[/dice] to hit; (bite,DF,bless)
[ dice]1d6+8+2[/dice] damage.
[ dice]1d20+14+1[/dice] CMB to grab
[ dice]1d20+14+2+1[/dice] to hit; (claw,DF,bless)
[ dice]1d4+8+2[/dice] damage.
[ dice]1d20+14+2+1[/dice] to hit; (claw,DF,bless)
[ dice]1d4+8+2[/dice] damage.
Lvl 1: 2/8 used (DF*1,EE*0,AibBub*0)
Lvl 2: 3/7 used (barkskin*1,CMW*0,Bull*1)
Lvl 3: 2/7 used (mag vest*2,MCfE*1)
Lvl 4: 2/6 used (AirWalk*2,DivPower*0,Grove)
Lvl 5: 0/4 used (CLWmass*0,FlameStrike*0)
Extend Rod: 3/3 used (mag vest*2, barkskin)
Yeen.: Mage Armor,DF,Barkskin,SoF,MCPfE10
Ami:
Yeen's claws leave deep groves in the brass surface of the creature, find a solid hold, and grapple the creation.
Round Two: Pent now acting.
Round 2, Init 15
AC = 13
HP =
Weapon Equipped = +1 Light Crossbow
Condition(s) = Prayer, Resist Fire
Pent steps agilely out of the way of the brass brap, while waiting for the others to put down the metal men. With no one in his party looking much injured in the encounter, he blips out of the central spot, to the corner.
From the corner, he loads his crossbow, though he holds little faith in its efficacy with regards to the brass men.
The brass man near Aldebert slices at him with its great sword. It slices int the halfling twice.
, , ,
Round Two: Otah now acting.
Otah shuffles over, and lets loose against two of the brass men.
for
for
Otah manages to hit the brass man. Even as the force of the impact seems blunted, the cold seems to linger upon the creature. One of the brass man near Otah immediately lashes back.
, (miss)
, (miss)
Round Two: Aldebert now acting.
Round: 2, Initiative: 2
Conditions: Endure Elements (24h), Magic Vestment (+2, 4/20h), Resist Fire (20, 1/10m), Prayer
Weapon Equipped: Greatsword
GreatSword Attack BAB +10/+5, Str +2, Focus +1, Magic +1, Size +1, (Power Attack -3) Damage Str +3 (1.5x), Magic +1, (Power Attack +9 (1.5x))
Summon Mount: 1/2 (Full round)
Smite Evil: 4/4 (Swift, +4 attack, +10 damage, +4 AC)
Lay on Hands: 6/9 (Swift, 5d6 healing +1d6 if not fatigued, diseased, or poisoned)
Pearl of Power (first) 1/2
Spells (caster level 7, concentration +11, DC 14+)
1) Bed of Iron, Hero’s Defiance,
2) Mirror Image, Paladin’s Sacrifice
3)
- - -
Gretiem Lord of the Green
HP: 68/68 AC: 26 (F22/T14) (included: +4 mage armor)
Fort: 8 Reflex: 8 Will: 5 BAB: +6 CMB: 10 CMD: 23 Move: 40’
Conditions: Mage Armor (2/8h)
Tricks: Aid, Air Walk, Attack x2, Come, Defend, Deliver, Down, Fetch, Flank, Flee, Get Help, Guard, Heal, Hunt, Sneak, Stay, Watch, Work
Bite Attack BAB +6, Str +4, Amulet +1 Damage Str +6 (1.5x), Amulet +1
Reflex DC 15 for 4 or none.
(prayer)
(prayer)
”Line up and get them to breathe more - that hurt a lot less!” Aldebert shouts as he takes two blades to the midsection. He swiftly heals himself some of his injury.
He stands his ground for now as he chops into the golem facing him. He looks over his shoulder to see how his brother fares, and wonders who will drop theirs first. He’s better in combat than his brother, but Yeen… wow that cat can fight.
(prayer) (prayer)
(prayer) (prayer)
(prayer) (prayer)
Sadly, he and Gretiem do little compared to others this round.
As Aldebert and Yeen clatter and gnaw ineffectually against the brass man near them, the one grappled by Yeen slices away at Ami - seemingly unaware of how the felines grip hampers it. The trusts as they are manage to do little beyond reflect the fire upon the surface of the greatsword.
, (miss)
, (miss)
Round 3: Mahdi now acting
Mahdi moves a tiny bit towards the safety of a corner and draws the ever-lessened wand of Mooonnsstters.
As Mahdi steps back the four Brass men tumble to the floor as if the arcane strings moving them about have been cut.
Light from the fire at each of the cardinal directions reflects on the metallic surface of their motionless bodies. Quickly their once solid forms give way, as if more than light from the flames touches the brass.
Forming puddles slowly, the now melting brass is easily avoided. The joining puddles reflect the light of the four fires more intensely, hinting perhaps at the fire that remains in this place.
Pent waits a moment or three, expecting the puddles to reform something much more serious, much more hostile. When nothing seems to stir within the brassy goo, the gnome shuffles back to center of the room, and evaluates the others for injury.
"Everyone still here? Still healthy? Raring to go? Something tells me we should keep moving, what with garish guardians so easily coming to confront us just now." Pent adjusts himself familiarly, hefting his crossbow from one arm to the other.
Mahdi lowers the wand, letting the spell fizzle out with a small wrinkle of his nose. "We need to figure out where we are. Ami said the City of Brass. I'm.... not certain. It certainly feels like it's connected to the Plane of Fire, but perhaps not wholly on it."
He frowns down at the brass men. "I wonder why they just stopped attacking. Anyway, I'm fine, Pent."
Conditions: Endure Elements (24h), Magic Vestment (+2, 4/20h), Resist Fire (20, 1/10m), Prayer
Weapon Equipped: Greatsword
GreatSword Attack BAB +10/+5, Str +2, Focus +1, Magic +1, Size +1, (Power Attack -3) Damage Str +3 (1.5x), Magic +1, (Power Attack +9 (1.5x))
Summon Mount: 1/2 (Full round)
Smite Evil: 4/4 (Swift, +4 attack, +10 damage, +4 AC)
Lay on Hands: 6/9 (Swift, 5d6 healing +1d6 if not fatigued, diseased, or poisoned)
Pearl of Power (first) 1/2
Spells (caster level 7, concentration +11, DC 14+)
1) Bed of Iron, Hero’s Defiance,
2) Mirror Image, Paladin’s Sacrifice
3)
- - -
Gretiem Lord of the Green
HP: 68/68 AC: 26 (F22/T14) (included: +4 mage armor)
Fort: 8 Reflex: 8 Will: 5 BAB: +6 CMB: 10 CMD: 23 Move: 40’
Conditions: Mage Armor (2/8h)
Tricks: Aid, Air Walk, Attack x2, Come, Defend, Deliver, Down, Fetch, Flank, Flee, Get Help, Guard, Heal, Hunt, Sneak, Stay, Watch, Work
Bite Attack BAB +6, Str +4, Amulet +1 Damage Str +6 (1.5x), Amulet +1
Aldebert swings once more out of inertia and pokes at the puddles with the tip of his sword. ”That’s strange indeed. I wonder why they stopped?”
”Pent if we still have that wand, I could use some assistance here. Took a wallop there near the end.” he shrugs.
If we have a wand…
If we don’t, he’ll lay on hands again.
”So where to?” he wonders as he gives the room a quick search.
Ami and Yeen claw and pounce the puddles, scraping and ripping at them uselessly. After a few moments, Ami turns to Aldebert, then to Mahdi.
"Mah-DEEE! What happened?! What is going on?" Ami hopes his good friend, the burner, can help.
"And yes, we are near the City of Brass. I know it!"
Yeen and Ami snuffle for things of interest while they wait for Mahdi to explain everything.
"Huh." the dwarf grunts, "That was unexpected."
He pulls out a dagger and prods it at the melted men, half expecting them to rise back into form.
"Brass men, Brass City. It would be a shame to leave all this coin laying around however. They're not going to use it."
"Pent if we still have that wand, I could use some assistance here. Took a wallop there near the end."
Pent nods briskly, producing his wand of Cure Moderate Wounds. "We're good to go, Aldi. For our surrounds, you should round out your soundness, so we can brace for brass again."
"Brass men, Brass City. It would be a shame to leave all this coin laying around however. They're not going to use it."
"Who's not going to use it? The ones who employ brass men to see intruders slaughtered for skulking about? Not sure we're not being watched, even now, given how soon we were set upon." The gnome does give a good look around, considering.
The large chamber of brass grows quieter, the sound of steel and claw against steel no longer resounding loudly against the polished metal walls. The occasional swish-step brings about repeated reminders that gold and gem lie underfoot, though it's not lost on the dwarf.
The sound of shifting coin mounds in the 'northwest' corner of the room catches your attention. For the recent conflict, before you appears a familiar enough sight- a humanoid shimmering with reflective fire gains his feet. It doesn't take long to recognize the old Katapeshi mage, Rayhan, dusting himself off of coin and metal dust.
"Where on earth...?" The old man takes a moment to enjoy the echo of his own voice, as he realizes the enormity of the room. "This is... the City of Brass? We're no longer in Kakishon, then? Obherak was true to his word, and wielded power enough to send us here. That is very interesting..." Rayhan falls into quiet contemplation.
Four curtains of fire stand before you. For the duration you spend investigating the room, now that you are no longer defending yourselves, nothing new arises to confront you again.
Ami looks around, then at Rayhan, then gives Mahdi a 'I-told-you-so' look. He has mixed feelings about the mage. Ami blames him for losing the map and getting them trapped. He doesn't give all the blame to Rayhan though, it's also his brother's fault for not seeing how good of an idea it was to go hide in the desert with map forever instead of the City with the crying priest.
"Rayhan, how do you know this place?" Ami asks, trying to be nice. "And now that we're no longer trapped in that plane, maybe it's time to go home? Can we planeshift home now?"
Conditions: Endure Elements (24h), Magic Vestment (+2, 5/20h), Resist Fire (20, 1/10m)
Weapon Equipped: Greatsword
GreatSword Attack BAB +10/+5, Str +2, Focus +1, Magic +1, Size +1, (Power Attack -3) Damage Str +3 (1.5x), Magic +1, (Power Attack +9 (1.5x))
Summon Mount: 1/2 (Full round)
Smite Evil: 4/4 (Swift, +4 attack, +10 damage, +4 AC)
Lay on Hands: 6/9 (Swift, 5d6 healing +1d6 if not fatigued, diseased, or poisoned)
Pearl of Power (first) 1/2
Spells (caster level 7, concentration +11, DC 14+)
1) Bed of Iron, Hero’s Defiance,
2) Mirror Image, Paladin’s Sacrifice
3)
- - -
Gretiem Lord of the Green
HP: 68/68 AC: 26 (F22/T14) (included: +4 mage armor)
Fort: 8 Reflex: 8 Will: 5 BAB: +6 CMB: 10 CMD: 23 Move: 40’
Conditions: Mage Armor (3/8h)
Tricks: Aid, Air Walk, Attack x2, Come, Defend, Deliver, Down, Fetch, Flank, Flee, Get Help, Guard, Heal, Hunt, Sneak, Stay, Watch, Work
Bite Attack BAB +6, Str +4, Amulet +1 Damage Str +6 (1.5x), Amulet +1
Aldebert enjoys the healing Pent provides.
Fully healed after four charges, he thanks Pent, checks Gretiem one more time and pats him on the shoulder, and rides toward the north curtain to examine it. Is it hot? Is it actually a curtain of fire?
"I think we still have resist fire going, so we should go through one of these curtains fairly quickly - before that spell wears off."
"It'll last several more minutes-- about ten, in all. But there's some riddle puzzle here to address, with the numbering-- ah, Master Rayhan." Mahdi blinks, then bows.
"Yes, well, Obherak is quite the additional riddle in all this, but one thing at a time. 'Half or Triple plus one'," he reads again, gesturing at the ceiling. "Perhaps a clue to which door we should exit by? I'm not opposed to collecting wealth for our trouble in all of this, though."
Pent looks through the piles of coins left, grabbing a double handful of them for appraisal, only after setting down his crossbow gently on a wooden chest. He lets the gold fall through his hands, enjoying the sound of cascading coin as it strikes its fellow wealth on the floor below.
"Hey, there's some platinum mixed in with the gold. They were that unfussy with their stash. Personally, I like to know ratios, and I can't rightly say what the proportions are here. Certainly more gold than platinum, which makes just collecting the platinum a little tedious. And I can't believe I just said that out loud."
The gnome considers his backpack, then his clothes. For a moment, his pants parachute, and Pent actually tries to fill phantom pockets. When his Sleeve of Many Garments fails to act as Bag of Holding, he huffs, resigning himself to the task of collecting coin, while the fire mage considers their way forward.
"Hey, Mahdi, when you think on the Riddle, think of it like you were the Riddle-Maker, alright? Play to your crowd. Who's walking these halls? You only have four numbers to work with, so it might make it easier to figure which doors are no-gos..."
"Rayhan, how do you know this place? And now that we're no longer trapped in that plane, maybe it's time to go home? Can we planeshift home now?"
Rayhan pulls himself away from his visual studies to address the halfling. "You said it yourself, Amiamble. And you spoke confidently, which gave me something to consider. I've never been to the City of Brass, but I have heard about it in books. Why do you think we are in, wait, no you said 'near', didn't you? Why do you think we're near the City of Brass?" The old mage looks down on the halfling, hoping to learn more.
"As for traveling home, I'm all for it." Rayhan looks to Mahdi, hopefully.
"Yes, well, Obherak is quite the additional riddle in all this, but one thing at a time. 'Half or Triple plus one'. Perhaps a clue to which door we should exit by?"
Rayhan joins Pent in the intellectual pursuit. "They certainly kept it simple. Numbers and animals. The numbers themselves are routine, but the animal is singular. That in itself is interesting."
The science of math is being revered here, as it is integral in arcane practices. Only even numbers can be halved cleanly, so the '4' and the '2' can be reduced to '2' and '1', respectively. The other two numbers, '1' and '3', must be held to the second rule, 'triple plus one', so '1' becomes '4', and '3' becomes '10', unless you consider '3' is already tripled, which is the more appropriate consideration. Take '1', triple it and add one, and you have '4'. Halve it, '2'. Halve it again, '1'.
So, you are left with the numbers '4', '2', and '1'. When you begin to mull this simple mathematical application, it come clear- no matter what number you begin with, if you continue to apply the rule, you end up with a sequence of '4-2-1', over and over.
This is the way forward. From your initial room here, choose '4'. Leaving the second room, choose '2'. Leaving the third room, choose '1'. Leaving the fourth room... so on, and so on, for the thousands of rooms that must exist in this version of a miser's heaven or hell, whichever you consider is appropo.
You sense you are being watched. From which direction, you're uncertain. Just a feeling, either goose pimples or the hackles on your hairy neck...
Aldebert, having already looked around and found nothing, waits to see what Mahdi discovers. But he's ready to start jumping through doorways to see what's on the other side at least, should it be needed.
"Lizards," Mahdi muses with brows knit, undoing the Pathfinder's Pouch from his belt and tossing it lightly to Otah. "Otah, can you fill that with platinum coins while I think...? Let's see, the lizard has two legs in the morning-- no dammit, that's Man. A lizard has four legs, one tail--"
The wizard mutters to himself for a minute, darkly, sketching mathematical notations in mid-air with one smoldering finger.
Mahdi is too absorbed in his riddle to notice whatever is there to be noticed.
The dwarf catches the pouch and twirls it with a flourish. "Finally something makes sense." The dwarf proceeds to fill the fire-mage's container with platinum coins, and then continues the process into his handy haversack.
"Can't a lizard lose a tail? Is that part of the puzzle?"
Pent looks up from biting on a platinum coin, only to see Mahdi's facial expressions demonstrate an internal struggle to grasp the brassy riddle. He brings his arms to cross, and continues to watch for an ember to ignite above the fire mage's head, coin still in mouth.
Ami continues to snuffle at each of the doors, trying to see if any of them have more use than others.
Survival
”Brother, I don’t know what to think.”
As the heat from the Fire Curtains plays at your nosehairs, something stirs within you. A realization of exactly where you are- Bayt al-Bazan, the personal palace of none other than Jhavhul al-Marisah al-Agriva al-Barizob al-Bazan.
Ami turns with alarm to Mahdi.
”Maaah-DEE! Maaah-DEEEEE!!” Ami bursts with sudden realization. ”I know where we are! I know! We are at Bayt al-Bazan, the personal palace of Jhavhul al-Marisah al-Agriva al-Barizob al-Bazan.”
Ami pauses to see if that makes sense to Mahdi or Rayhan...or Pent.
”Jhavhul! Maaaaah-ddeeeee! Jhavhul!” Ami iterates.
Aldebert takes this news grimly. An efreeti! With a relic sword to boot! He's not sure the group is ready for such a battle, but he doubts they can rest here safely. They must press on.
"Good discovery brother, well done. We should move quickly while our resistance to fire remains, for we may need it against Jhavhul's blade. Let us hope the gods have our backs, and we will be victorious."
He grips his own sword, and holds it high as he moves in whatever direction Mahdi points.
Coins fall between the dwarf's fingers as he continues to fill containers.
"We're in the home of the efreeti we let out of the scroll? Think he'll be thankful?"
Mahdi steeples his fingers beneath his chin, closes his eyes, and thinks, running logic puzzles in his head. He has a brief flashback to his days as an apprentice, and the damned endless drills on multiplication, and formulae, which he had said didn't count as magic, and which his crusty old wizard master had promptly slapped him upside the head for. Good times.
"--it's a pattern," the wizard says after a dozen more seconds. "A clue to exit not merely this room but others, perhaps, to come. From this room, we must choose the fourth door, and from the next, the second, and from the next, the first. Repeating this pattern as many times as necessary to get through this maze. Right, then. Let's go."
[ooc]Assuming Mahdi spent a minute-ish in thought, and counting the brass man fight, we probably have eight minutes left on everyone else's resist-fire. Let's use 'em![/b]
Mahdi gestures for the heartier souls to proceed through door #4, then blinks at Ami. "--what. Why would be in Jhahvul's.... no matter. Be on guard, let us do what we can, as swiftly as we can. And no, I do not think Jhahvul will be... grateful."
With Mahdi's skillful manipulation of mental maths, the Exiled determine the first fire curtain through which they shall pass. Archway '4' it is.
The fire of the curtain intensifies, but it does not damage you as you pass through. As the heat diminishes softly behind you, a new heat buffets your protected senses.
A low brass landing with a short plinth standing at its northern edge extends along one wall of this large chamber that is otherwise filled with a bubbling pool of bright red molten lava. The ceiling stands 40' above you. A wide tunnel extends to the north, from which the lava issues in a languid flow. A single lancet archway extends from the landing to the east but is backed by a curtain of crackling flame, from where you just entered this space. Most menacing of all the chamber’s features, however, is the wide swirling vortex of lava that occupies its western wing, pulling the liquid rock in an inexorable whirlpool of infernal heat and death.
Ami snuffles through the passage with little worry about fire, but more worried about Mahdi's math. But since they aren't burning terribly, he doesn't worry too much.
Looking at the fiery expanse, Ami wonders if this is the right way to go or another way might work better.
"Maybe this isn't the right way to go?" Ami says, looking at his brother.
"We must trust Mahdi brother. His keen mind hasn't let us down before. We just need to find a way to overcome this hurdle."
He strides to the edge and examines the lava briefly. He strains to look north, "Maybe there's a way to go there, but I'm not sure how we get there. I can strap in and Gretiem can walk the walls, but he cannot carry all of you - save one at a time perhaps..." he trails off, not really liking that idea either.
He then searches the platform for secrets.
"I can at least investigate." he says after a fruitless search. If no one has any better ideas, he'll strap down and have Gretiem climb the walls as he guides him to the north to see where the tunnel goes.