The space you find yourself in --cavern, dungeon, a hellish efreeti landscape? -- is too vast to see any details of walls or ceiling. Instead, the only distinguishing characteristics you can see are areas of brighter glow, areas dimmer glow, and a slow-moving river of red liquid running about fifty yards away. The smell is one part graveyard, one part tannery, and one part firepit.
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Knowledge:
You are right on the cusp of the nasty parts of the Cauldron Lady's domain - a place typically reserved for damned souls of other races. If you go "down" any lower, you will go deeper into her territory. You need to find places to go "up" to get closer to the material plane.
In addition, for the high roll, you are relatively certain that the subtle signs of obsidian walls indicate you will end up in the Great Temple of Hearth if you do succeed in escaping this place.
Perception:
The lava is flowing slowly but consistently back and to the right from your current position; logic dictates that if you are looking for "upward", you should follow the river against the flow.
An eerie howl, somewhere between feral wolf and hungry lion, sounds in the distance. The echo of the space makes the sound surround you from all sides.
"Back to hell, huh? Some things never change."
Samen raises an angelic eyebrow. "Been here before? We need to go up. Down will take us to the Cauldron Lady, up should get us back into Hearth.
That seems like a better choice than remaining here."
He gestures to the lava. "Assuming gravity isn't different on this plane, going upstream should get us oriented correctly."
"Different hell." No further explanation seems to be forthcoming as she drifts slowly in the direction you indicated.
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"As fast as all this exotic travel is... I somewhat miss just walking somewhere. It's less dangerous. We almost got cooked this time." Gabe pauses as he processes what Samen just said. "Wait, did you say the Cauldron Lady? That Abnaki wanna-be shunted us to the afterlife without killing us?"
Samen nods somberly. "Indeed. A jerk move, to be sure, but don't fret too much. The afterlife is simply another plane of existence. I've lost count of the number we've been to. All that's left is to find the weak point in the barrier and return. Once we're through, I could take us back to Light if necessary. If I knew where on this plane we were going, I could take us there, but it's too risky without the knowledge. Legs it is!"
The howl is closer now.
Samen considers the tunnels and passages, and realizes he's between two temples of the Lady, one above, one below. This is her realm, built to her desires. Barring a better plan, best to assume it follows the architecture, patterns, and religious iconography of the temple in Hearth.
"I recognize this curve! That way, quickly!"
More important than the rules of gravity to the Lady - the rules of suffering. Rather than following the flow of the lava, you see the various cycles of torment and suffering that elens must endure upon their mortal flesh to purify themselves for the ancient priesthoods. Reasoning now that the worse the depictions, the deeper the pit, you point the party toward lesser misfortunes. Carved efreeti statues suffer alongside the elen statues: first drawn and quartered, then flayed, now pierced with nails and bled; and so on towards lighter punishments (flogging, bone breaking).
Make certain we are not captured in this domain! My power could be used by this Cauldron Lady and catapult her to deityhood on her own.
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As the group is traveling, Gabe pays special attention to the way they are moving through the statues. Simply walking will leave to much for the hounds to track. A few steps here, pressing against the stone there, avoiding the unidentified puddles of ichor. Swift and silent is the way.
"Qizz (make) tracks (go) away!"
Hmm. Tracks harder to go away in burning stone.
"Damn!" Kallik can't think and run, so she just runs. She feels like a useless coward.
Simple Heap skills are not good enough. Hmm. Well, slow down nasty fire hound with distractions, then. Qizz does what comes naturally, and conjures summons on top of summons. The myco hopes the swarm of fire beetles will distract long enough for the red ape to get in a solid punch.
Kallik does not dignify any of this silliness with a response.
Acknowledged. This is a trial for mortals. I will ensure you are banished before being revealed.
Samen turns on Detect Magic and scans around as they go. "The weak points will have conjuration energy as the fabric of the two planes rub together. I'll call out when I see a suitable location."
Gabe says, "Wait, stay quiet. The hounds must be in a particularly acoustic hallway. I hear them padding around, sniffing after us." A few moments later, he motions for Samen to continue his analysis. "They've passed the audible anomaly. I can't hear them any more... we should be 'safe' to continue"
Samen, you do indeed find a seam of conjuration magicks, the two planes twining around like tangled yarn. You find a likely spot that's weak enough to rip and big enough to fit through.
Gabriel, as the howling starts up again, first in front, then behind, then farther away, you conclude the hound can control the volume of its baying with eerie precision. You are less sure of the location of your pursuers, now.
Kallik shrugs at Samen. "My axe is good at slashing through planar stuff. Just show me where to hit it."
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Samen very carefully and concisely communicates the exact location to slice open a rift.
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As Samen begins crafting their exit, Gabe decides to make sure the hounds don't get close enough to interrupt anything. Rounding a corner, he finds himself face to face with a fiery beast! Not heading directly back to the group, he leads the Hellhounds on a chase depending on his enhanced speed to keep him out of trouble. Figuring he's gone far enough, he runs directly up a wall and leaps over the hounds' heads, narrowly avoiding their snapping jaws as they jump to snatch Gabe back to the ground. Sprinting as fast as his legs will take him he calls out, "I hope our exit is ready! I've got the Cauldron Lady's minions hot on my heels!"
Kallik scowls at the momentary lapse in her concentration from Gabe's annoying shouts. Squinting and redoubling her efforts, she follows Samen's instructions, using the point of her axe like a quill tip. She etches a series of flaming green runes and glyphs in a tall arc. The ancient words seem to dance in the air as she continues the spell construction and anchors it to the ground.
Just as Gabriel sprints onto the scene, Kallik gives her axe a brutal swipe right down the middle of the runes, forcing the two planes to bleed into each other. There is a kind of beauty in the shattered fractal patterns of torn reality, one best viewed quickly and then away. Unreal colors leave bruised afterimages in your eyes.
Qizz jumps for joy as the ragged portal works, and Kallik drags them through the greenish rift. The rest of you quickly follow suit, Gabriel last. The Hound is too large for the rapidly closing portal, and you see it skid to a halt just ten feet away from you. In a last attempt, it blows rancid, flaming breath at you, but Gabriel avoids it and comes to a rolling halt as the hole closes.
You are all in the obsidian halls of the actual Temple -- the one in Hearth. You are no longer in a hellish plane, just a highly unpleasant place; judging from the dank smell and stale air, this is a deep part of the sublevels.
"(Smells) like old bones."
Gabe visibly shivers as they emerge into the depths of the temple. "I'm sure there's more than just old bones down here. Who knows what other experiments were left behind when the corrupted inquisitors authority collapsed."
Samen gets up and dusts himself off. "Well that was quite the journey, wasn't it? It should be safe, or at least relatively safe. The quiet elder should be alive again, and it hasn't been that long since we left. Surely society hasn't collapsed yet again, right?"
"Nevertheless, we should endeavor not to surprise anyone or set off any alarms. We should go meet with the council, they'll have many questions."
"Agreed, I'll lead the way. Hopefully my reflexes are up to the task of keeping me out of trouble. Just uh... which way?"
"which way?...way?"
What you mistake for an echo becomes a throaty, raspy chorus of voices, coming from multiple hallways around you. A small grayish figure skitters into view, roughly the size of a large dog. You think at first it is a pogona, but as it ceases scampering on all fours and stands upon two legs, it looks at you with a nervous intelligence that can only mean...
more drakes. These are small drakes. You do not know if that means they are young, or a completely different species than the book drakes of the Branch Library, but this is another sign of the changes you have wrought upon the world.
There are more skittering figures that refuse to come forward - you are unsure how many surround you. The one drake before you stands still, but fidgets with its front claws. It nods expectantly toward you. "We can help find way. For those who command flame, yes?"
"Things have apparently changed here too. Who knows, maybe it's nice! Please, lead on. We would like to be escorted to the surface, thank you."
Gabe does his best to look friendly despite figuratively jumping out of his skin at the drakes being here. "Being escorted up and out would be great." Whispering to Samen, "I can light a torch but I can't create fire out of nothing. "
Samen whispers back, "I was hoping it was more of a metaphorical thing. I can bring out Mr. Sunshine, but I don't feel like they'd consider it the same."
**
Abnaki watches the whole fascinating thing play out on his story-appropriate crystal ball (sometimes the thing fizzles out for a day during bad weather, but nothing is perfect).
He also watches the other Abnaki sleeping on the cold cement floor in front of him. He makes a good throw rug. All he needs is the Twice-Born, and all will be made right.
***
"You want fire? Here is fire!" Samen unleashes solar energy on some scrap wood to set it ablaze.
You think you may hear Opræterius' low chuckle of glee as you set the dry wood violently ablaze. Many of the small drakes surge forward now, dancing wildly in the heat and light, their shadows crazed reflections painted upon the walls.
After a minute or two, the fire dies down somewhat, and the drake finish their dance with a flourish. The drake who spoke earlier bows to all of you individually. "We are pleased to serve, masters of flame. Up and out, to surface. I am Kek."
Samen nods and follows behind the reptilian creature. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Kek. We follow gladly."
Kek walks with quick, tiny steps, which means you have to slow your natural gait to avoid stepping on him. His claws--and those of his brethren--clack on the obsidian floors, like gentle rain patter. "Do you have dealings with the Bones of Giants?"
Qizz (wants) to (chase) new silly friends across the slippery floor! Kallik (says) no, and Qizz (frowns). They (can) still (talk) to each other, but the gray lizards (cannot) (hear) Qizz's (shifting) very well. Maybe Qizz (can teach) them?
"Quite possibly. We shall see what the day holds."
He glances back the way they came, and swears he can still hear a dog howling.
"But first things first, I need away from here and to see how the city is doing."
"Please lead on Kek. I'm also curious to see what else we might have... changed."