DM Voomer's Age of Ashes

Game Master Voomer

Caiten gathers with the others at the portal room. "I have not purchased any additional elixirs. I do have a selection of spells prepared. Hopefully they will be of use, but it is difficult to predict what we will encounter."

Sulee is back to her typical size and is sitting on Caiten's shoulder. "It will be fine. Don't worry so much."

"Say, we never figured out how to duplicate the gate key, did we? I guess we'll have to keep it safe," says Lisi with a smile. He seems to have really taken to the manual labor of the last few weeks, enjoying seeing other people take the lead, and keeping his head down, twisting wood here and there to fix parts of the Citadel and make the path to Breachill both safer and more defensible. He's been eyeing areas of the courtyard to make into gardens, and imagining new stone walls outside the main areas. Or wood--lots of wood, and vines, even.

"Well, it's warm in the Expanse, and full of deadly predators, the deadliness of which was no doubt exaggerated, misinterpreted and exoticized by bumbling Avistanis," he concludes. "The rest we'll figure out."

Chronomancy

"Can we talk? No rush, when you're ready." The young man would move off to the side with her. Leaning against the wall, he'd nod to the stairs leading to the basement and where the tunnels led back to the citadel's crypt.

"I have a favor to ask, one that'll be good to you too. Don't close up the passageway, leave it open." The gunslinger asks quietly, his voice a whisper. "If something happens in the town, people can flee through the tunnel to the safety of the citadel. We can pass through it quietly and undisturbed as well, keep a low profile as it is. No one would suspect that you've got the tunnel to and from."

"Now, before you get all flustered and mad, I know you're a businesswoman. I am in your debt and...well...I'm willing to work out an arrangement. What would you want in return for this?"

Roxie mulls it over. "Made a pretty penny off the stuff you all cleared out of there. But truth be told, the pickings were growing slim anyhow. A businesswoman knows how to adapt, as you say." She looked at Dario thoughtfully.

"Seems like Uskwold's raking in quite the profit, with her place being known as the favorite haunt of the vaunted Champions of town. One might think the guardians of the secret escape tunnel into the place deserve a bit of that good fortune as well. So you people grace my tavern with your presence now and again, let some of those crowds rub off over here, and we'll call it square." It was a fairer deal than he expected, but from a practical standpoint, Roxie understood there was something at play she didn't have all the details on. Something dangerous that had the heroes rebuilding that citadel, and making plans to go off through some portal they found. She'd rather have their favor than a bit of gold.

Oathday, Rova 5, 4719 AR

Over a month has passed since the Call to Heroes brought you all together. Your bonds have been forged in battle and tempered in the work of rebuilding the Citadel. The wargs have grown as your friendship has -- they are still puppies, to be sure, but they've about doubled in size, and their faces come up almost to your knees. (Are they coming?)

The Citadel itself is almost unrecognizable from what you walked into those weeks ago. All signs of animal invasions, bugbears, cultists, oozes, and the rest have been scrubbed clean, broken furniture discarded, and stairs repaired. It's much easier to navigate the place, and so you've worked to set watches in some places, to make sure nothing slips in unannounced. (Where might those be?)

Repairs are still to be done, but Alak has things under control,and you all feel confident that things will run smoothly in your absence. And, after all -- there is still a cult seeking to return Dahak to the world, just a portal jump away. You might have the key, but it is still a disconcerting thought, and one you all agree it's finally time to go and see to.

Cevendyll, champion of Yuelral,has the honor of opening the portal. He draws forth the key, and can feel the power thrumming through it, the object quivering in his hand. As he approaches the gateway, the arrowhead begins to glow, and then his whole fist. He swears he can hear faint, ancient music and leylines seem to reach from the archway to the arrowhead, dancing along its surface before fading and reforming, a conduit of raw magical power. It is one of the most beautiful things he's ever seen.

As the tip of the key touches the wall, the stone ceases to be. It melts, then vaporizes, and the archway is filled with fog that somehow doesn't spill out into the chamber, but maintains a vertical boundary within the archway.

Just a few steps away is a jungle, hot, humid, and filled with unknown dangers.

Adventure awaits.

Caiten watches with interest as the portal opens. He goes up and inspects it briefly.

Arcana: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

He checks with the others to see if any of them want to go ahead of him. Then Caiten walks through the portal with Sulee.

Chronomancy

Just as they pack the food that Trin is so graciously providing them and they are ready to leave, Joran takes her hands in his and lets out a resigned sigh, looking into her eyes with a little forlornness in his. "Well, gorgeous, this is it. I've no idea where we're going or what's on the other side or even how long I'm going to be gone but know this, I'll miss you terribly and keep you in my mind and heart. Just like always." He smiles. "And I'll be thinking about going on another one of those picnics when I get back too. I said when I get back. Did you catch that? Because I'll be back. That's a promise." He grins. Leaning in, his lips meet hers in a goodbye moment.

"Well, I'll see you when I see you, darlin'. Hopefully sooner rather than later." Making his way to the door as the others have already left, he stops and looks back, throwing out his favorite line to her but this time with a little bit more of a serious tone to it, "You know I love ya, Trin," before giving a slight wave and heading out the door.

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

Currently

Seeing the gate open, Joran takes a deep breath. "Well, I'd just like to say, I'm glad the poppet is back to her normal size. The tallness was just to weird to me. And also... here goes nothing. Through the gate we go, where we wind up, we're about to know." And with that, Joran follows the android and his poppet into the great unknown.

~~~AT ROXIE'S DEN~~~

"You, my dear, are shrewd negotiator. Once a week, we'll have a drink and a meal over here to celebrate. Twice a week, I'll be here to get some space." Dario adored his companions but his upbringing left him longing for a quieter place. Their reputation preceded him and he didn't worry about the fight occurring. Dwarves knew how to keep themselves calm. The Champions were anything but.

~~~AT THE GATE~~~

Dario watches as ancient magic opens a portal before him, his eyes widening at the beauty of it. Checking his pistols before taking vial of antiplague, the man would step through the portal and into the unknown.

Oren looks at the portal for a long moment and takes a deep breath in. "Well, here's to stopping the apocalypse." Then he slings Foehammer over his shoulder and follows the others through it, readying himself for whatever waits on the other side.

"So, ah, no to the gate key duplication, then," says Lisi. "Guba, Rocco, Shadow, let's go." He takes his dagger out, looks at it, shakes his head, and puts it back.

He steps through with his merry band of creatures.

~~~ Preparation ~~~

As the rest of the crew is finishing up the work on the citadel, Yasamina excuses herself to retreat back to Breachill. She heads for Shelyn’s Smile, and for her quarters. She packs the necessary gear she considers essential for the exploration of wherever they are about to go and sets the backpack near the door.

She sits down, puts out a few parchments, and an inkpot with a quill. She takes the first parchment and starts writing.

Hi, mom!

A few weeks ago, I wrote that I am getting ready for an expedition. Well, it’s happening tomorrow. My companions are finishing their preparation for the trip, and I am packed at this point. I got everything, so don’t worry - I know you think you would pack me better, but we are what we are. The family used to live off the land, remember? So that’s what I will do for a while. I am even bringing sketches of edible mushrooms, so don’t worry. In any case, I am not sure when will I be able to write again, so if you don’t hear from me for a while, don’t worry. I’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible. I am sending you some money if you or Viola need anything. Buy something nice! Don’t spend it all on ‘useful’ things, please. I want you to have something nice from me. Buy a flower, or a nice dress. Something you will like. You or Viola. Preferably both.

I hope that my father and his wife treat you well. If not, send a letter addressed to me. I know you don’t know my current whereabouts, and trust me, it’s better this way. But just tell the person that delivers this to wait, and write a response. I will have someone handle it as soon as I can. Or send some more money. I’ll figure it out, don’t wory. Just let me know. I also have a small ask. I am sending you another letter. This one is for Viola. But for her only. Please store it somewhere safe, and give it to her when you feel she is ready to know why her mother died, and how. Or if she asks about her parents, and you feel she can take it. You know how it all came to be, so please keep this in mind. The letter will elaborate on a few things

I know it will take a while until she is ready to know. And don’t worry. This is not a goodbye. Merely a ‘just in case’ message in a bottle. Like I said. Exploring the unknown lands can take a while. Who knows? We’ll see. Love you very much!

I’ll be in touch, bye!

Mina

Yasamina stores the letter in an envelope, and seals it with wax. She puts the letter asid, and takes another set of parchments. She sighs heavily, thinking what to write for a while. Then starts.

Viola, my dear girl,

I am sorry I was not there for you. You don’t know me, and although I have many regrets in life, this is the one that breaks my heart the most. Not seeing your first steps, not hearing your first words, not helping you with your hair and whatever path you chose in life. For this - I apologise from the depths of my soul. Tajana probably did not tell you how you ended up with her, and although I am sure she loves you as her own, your blood is different from hers. Perhaps for the better. This, of course, changes nothing how Tajana and me feel about you.

My name is Mina. I am Tajana’s daughter, and was a fond friend of your mother. I use past tense, because your mother died shortly after you were born. If you wish to visit her grave, you can do so in Restov, at the Red Beech Fields cemetery, in the western section. Her name was Constantia Vigo. Headstone is white marble with fiery orange lettering, so it might stand out. At least it did the last time I was there.

Your mother was the purest and beautiful person I had the honour to know. In terms of both character and looks. Kind-hearted, talented, friendly, just the right amount of shy. We used to perform together. Just like, I am sure, you are - she was magnificent in every way. Of course, if you are reading this, I did not get a chance to meet you. So perhaps, you even surpassed her qualities. What am I saying? Of course you did. That is, after all, the purpose of children, to be better than their parents. Whatever you have decided to do in life, and whatever fills your heart with passion, I am sure you are excellent at it. Don’t let anyone dissuade you from what you want to do. If they try, you pull through, and show them you can rise above their doubts.

I hope we can get a chance to talk, but the situation is complicated, and I can not return home for now. I assure you, I will do so at the earliest opportunity. Right now, your adoptive sister is dealing with important issues outside of Brevoy, and can not visit home for several reasons. Again, I am sorry about this, and I hope we get a chance to talk some day. To look at you, blooming and seeing you teeming with life and drive of a young woman, is the only thing I wish for at this point.

With love, Mina

Yasami seals the letter with wax and puts it into one of the leather scrollcases she got from Duba earlier. She carefully puts it on the letter for her mother, and starts writing a new one.

Uncle,

no codes this time. You need the full picture here, so take what you need from this letter, forward the information to whoever you need, then burn it. We are rebuilding the Altaerein Citadel. Alseta's Ring - the gateway circle is underneath it. It was protected by a guardian created by the Hellknight branch of the Order of the Nail. It seems not many were able to move through the portal, although there are indications of an amassing force coming from the Mwangi gateway. They praise someone or something called Dahak, and several have died with Dahak’s name on their lips when we were cleaning the place out. We are finishing preparations, and are getting ready to enter the Mwangi gateway within the next day. It is possible, that I will not be able to report for a while. I am not sure how long we will stay on the other side. The gateway is still protected, however, but if a sufficient force will burst through, they might destroy the guardian. We will try to prevent that from the other side. Wish us luck, and better make preparations. We have encountered monkey- and frog-like creatures when we were attempting to get to the gateway circle. Perhaps this can be an indication to you as to what awaits on the other side. Meebo will remain in Breachill to keep an eye out on the situation, and will report if anything of interest would be happening. Hopefully, I will be able to report again soon. I strongly suggest sending a few postal birds to help quick communication. I plan on building an aviary in Altaerein once I get back. If that will not be possible, Meebo can use them to send a quick message in case something happens.

Until then,

-Y.

She prepares an envelope and puts the last letter in, but doesn’t seal it. She knocks on Meebo’s door and waits. When the gnome opens up, Yasami waves at her. ”Hi. Can I come in real quick?”

Half-asleep, Meebo lets her in. Yasami sits down on a chair, and hands over the letters. ”These two are private. For my mother. There is also a pouch included with 55 silver. Five silver for the courier to wait for a response, and the fifty is for my mom. My mother would read -this- one…” she lifts up the sealed envelope ”and then decide if she wishes to respond. I need the courier instructed to send the letter to you, since my mother doesn’t actually know where I am now. I hope I’m not causing you too much trouble with this, but I would really appreciate it if I could, at last, hear from her. It’s been a while.” she hands the sealed letter over. Then she lifts up the scroll case with the message for Viola. ”This is for my mother as well. She will know what to do with it by reading the letter in the sealed envelope. Not to worry. That’s for my sister, when she grows up a bit.”

And then she hands over the unsealed envelope for Elias, and lowers her voice. ”And THIS is for Elias. It’s not encrypted or metaphorical. It’s the full report of what I expect to happen in the next few weeks. Feel free to read it, seal it, and then send it. But as I said - not coded. No names are used, but you never know. So be careful with who gets to see it. The letter speaks of an aviary. There’s a place that could fit in in Altaerein, so I will also try to push for that. For faster communication.”

She then gives Meebs a full explanation of the events that transpired in the recent weeks. While Meebo probably knew the gist of it, if there are any holes in the narrative, Yasami is happy to fill in the gaps.

”So yeah. We’re going.” she adds after the discussion is over. ”I’m honestly not sure what happens on the other side, or when or -IF- we will be coming back. If not, it’s been a pleasure knowing you, Meebo Biddybink. Colleague and friend.”

Yasamina puts her arms around Meebo and lifts her up in a hug. ”Keep an eye out on Altaerein. I have an idea what to expect on the other side, but you never know.”

~~~ At the Ring ~~~

Yasami stands with the rest as the portal comes to life. She watches as people go in one by one, then steps closer, puts her hand into the fog, and pulls it back out to see whether something happened to it. "Fascinating...", she says to nobody in particular. She readjusts the straps on her backpack and gear, and looks back at the room again. "Well. Let's go, I guess... See you guys on the other side."

And she steps inside.

As you each step through, the mists of the magical portal fade, revealing a twenty-foot-wide passageway stretching off to the distance.

The walls of the tunnel seem to be made of hardened lava, glassy in texture, long ago scorched and melted. Tiny cracks and fissures line the walls, within which an orange glow flickers, giving the tunnel a soft, fiery illumination.

The wall of silver mist from the portal glows from behind, while a similar faint glow beckons about a hundred feet ahead. The air is almost uncomfortably warm and smells of smoke. All the little hairs on the back of your neck stand at attention -- something feels wrong in this place. Threatening. Ominous.

Renali joins you, and frowns nervously. "The passage I mentioned."

Caiten finds himself in a short hallway. He takes a few steps forward in order to make room for the rest of the group. He looks around at the walls and the distant portal exit.

"The passage I mentioned."

"This passage looked like this when you came through it, yes Renali?"

"In that case, calm down Sulee. I don't see anything immediately dangerous here. And the portal should hold during our traversal without problems."

Caiten begins walking across the hallway.

Dario stifles momentarily from the blast of heat as he steps out through the glowing wall of mist, grimacing as the memories of home come back. The heat is only further compounded by the sweltering humidity that lingers here, almost seeming to pulse with the fiery cracks and fissures that line the walls. The glow reflects in Dario's glasses as he looks amidst the tunnel, his face locked in a near permanent frown.

"You all feel that too, right? Something's...wrong." Dario mutters, drawing his blade and pistol in hand. He moves up to the front, quietly moving alongside his companions while trying to use the semi-natural shadows of the cavern to move forward.

"Dahak. This place, he's a part of it. I can tell it's him like he was right in front of me." Foehammer no longer rests slung over Oren's shoulder, but is now gripped tightly in both hands, the barbarian keeping it at the ready.

Giving a slight nod as his focus is on the walls around him, "Yes. Yes I do, Dario. Something is terribly wrong with this place." Drawing his war flail, Joran keeps an eye out for pretty much everything.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (15) + 9 = 24

"And thanks to Oren, now we know why this place feels so wrong," he comments, still keeping his eyes moving as they move and move quickly.

Oren's words do nothing to calm down Dario's concern, his hands gripping his weapons carefully. His eyes stay on a swivel, looking for any unexpected danger as they move through this foreign terrain.

Caiten continues blithely walking down the hallway and towards the other portal door.

"Caiten has the right idea--the faster we are through, the better," says Lisi.

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22

"Let's discuss on the other side," he says. "Guba, if anything starts to rumble, let me know. Rocco, Shadow, do not bolt unless I tell you to run, and then you run."

Lisi is a half-elf of economy of action most of the time, with quiet hands and body, but his hands open and close as if he's ready to cast a spell at any moment.

please update the macro sheet above, I'm not sure anyone did except maybe Joran -- I used your perception as listed in your quick reference stats.

The walls of the tunnel begin to glow a hot, evil red color, and fire seeps out from cracks in the walls, swirling into a storm of swirling flame right in front of Caiten. The flames take shape -- that of a dragon's head, three pairs of massive horns framing a scaled crest, crowning a massive face that seemed to dominate the wide tunnel, facing all of you.

This is not Dahak... Not exactly. But it seems to be a manifestation of his essence suffusing this place between places.

The head inhales...

Lisi can act first, then this thing goes.

"That doesn't look good. Cev, close the gate before we leave this place, please." Yasami looks at the dragon head and unstraps the sword in her sheath with a quick motion of two fingers.

"MOVE!" shouts Lisi, and runs to the side of the thing.

Lisi's hands, ready all this time, come up and perform a twisting dance as he angrily says something in an unknown tongue.

Curse of Lost Time. Let's see if this is a construct or not.

JIC object or construct: 4d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 1, 2) = 11

As Lisi casts his spell, little quantum specks flash and disappear all around Dahak's face, microscopic wormholes opening and closing instantaneously as time and space bend all around him.

Fort save: 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (19) + 17 = 36

The spell seems to have no effect.

The face finishes inhaling, and unleashes a gout of flames across the lot of you, a sixty foot cone that bathes the tunnel in a inferno.

DC 26 Basic Reflex Save from everyone, please. Half damage on success, double on crit fail.

fire damage: 6d6 ⇒ (6, 6, 6, 3, 2, 1) = 24

All of you are up. The tunnel is about 100 feet long. Caiten, I believe, is close to halfway down it, since he was just continuing ahead. The rest of you are near the first portal, and have the whole tunnel to go. The tunnel is 20 feet wide, the head is 15 feet wide, so it's possible to go past it. This counts as a hazard / trap more so than an enemy, it can still be destroyed the old fashioned way if desired.

Reflex Save: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29

Dario throws himself into the wall, dodging the worst of the gout of flame before landing hard on the ground. Even avoiding it, his hat, coat, and skin are singed by the godly fire that erupts from the manifestation of Dahak. His eyes look around the tunnel, watching as they channel their power to Dahak's form to maintain his appearance.

"I think...I think I can do something about this." The waves of energy were like currents of air flowing into a forge, trying to bring it to life. Unfurling a leather case that contained a series of tools and devices, he went to work. Hammering deep pins into the wall through the fissures and cracks, Dario hoped to disrupt enough of these vents of power to starve the manifestation of what it needed to maintain itself.

Thievery: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (9) + 13 = 22
Hero Pointing!
Thievery: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (14) + 13 = 27

"Damn it! I need more help. I need more time!" Dario cursed, more to himself than to the others, as sweat poured down his forehead and his eyes cast another glance at the terrible being before them.

The image of a dragon appears in front of Caiten. "Well, that's unexpected. What manner of illusion is this?"

Caiten watches curiously as Lisi casts a spell at it - with seemingly no effect.

Then the disembodied dragon head spews fire all over everyone.

Reflex: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (1) + 11 = 12 Yeah, I'll hero point that.
Reflex: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31 Excellent

Caiten dives to the side.

"Sulee, watch out."

↺ Phase Familiar: Your familiar gains resistance 5 +2 per heightening = 9 to all damage and is immune to precision damage.

Reflex: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18
16+ is regular fail. So 24 damage + 5 from Flammable - 9 from Phase Familiar = 20 damage. Leaving 5 HP left.

"Aaaieeee. Caiten, get us out of here."

Caiten makes sure that he is holding Sulee securely and sprints for the far portal as quickly as he can.

Stride x3

Reflex: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (11) + 7 = 18

The flames wrap around Oren as he is unable to dodge away from them. He watches as Lisi's spell harmlessly washes off of it. Magic doesn't work against it and we'll get roasted if we try and smash this thing with weapons.

Oren runs towards the exit portal.

-- IN THE MOMENT --
Religion: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (1) + 12 = 13 Prayer to Yuelral
Religion: 1d20 + 12 ⇒ (14) + 12 = 26 2nd Prayer to Yuelral (HP)

The bracer containing Cevendyl's holy symbol seems to open of its own accord, its crystals exploding with light that suffuses the aiudara waystation: his prayer to disperse the presence of Dhahak hangs around him as the effect subsides.

"Friends, there is no way to even guess how long that could help, we need to move! We need to exit into Mwangi as soon as we possibly can."

Reflex: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27

Religion: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (14) + 11 = 25

Lisi sprints after the warglets, keeping pace with a surprisingly fast Guba, whose little feet are a blur.

His feet stay light, but he prepares for anything at the end of the tunnel--a drop, a trap, a river.

Cevendyll closes his eyes and sends a heartfelt please to his goddess. This taint cannot be allowed to exist in the between-space of even portals as elegant as Alseta's Ring. The aiudara is almost sacred to him -- a place of pure elven ingenuity with magic, and the very site of his reforging. Dahak's essence is a slight against all he holds dear.

Cev's bracer unlocks, the glow striking the dragon's head with a force that causes it to buck to the side. Caiten, running past with Sulee, sees the eyes close in pain. The giant maw opens, letting loose a terrible roar of outrage that echoes through the tunnel, so loud you want to instinctively protect your ears. Yuelral's light is unceasing, boring a hole through the illusory skull. The scales of the dragon's head glow around the edges, just before the image shatters into a thousand thousand little glittering specks, softly floating down the the floor of the tunnel.

The manifestation is gone. Cev knows it's not permanent -- the whole place still feels wrong, infected with evil. But he can also sense it will take a long time for the power to coalesce once more. Days, if not weeks.

The way ahead is clear, the other portal a soft, beckoning glow.

Dario curses, grabbing his pins and wrapping his things up before rushing forward after his comrades. He rushes past where the manifestation of the dragon god once inhabited, rushing out of this place towards the Mwangi Jungle ahead of them.

Caiten goes through the portal at a dead run. Once through he stops and takes a good look around.

Ref: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (8) + 8 = 16

Eyes narrowing as he sees the gout of flame heading toward them all, Joran glances around and accepts the fact he has nowhere to run. Taking several deep breaths as the inferno closes in on him, he lowers his head and protects his face as best he can as the fire envelops him. Roaring in pain, he looks up and sees that it's now gone. Not wasting another moment, he sprints like a lightning bolt toward the other gate, leaping through it just as soon as he nears.

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

Quickly taking in the scene, "How are y'all doing? Dario? Caiten? Sulee?" He asks, looking quite burned himself. "Especially you, Sulee." He looks over at Caiten, trying to spot her. "You still with us, Sulee? She's still with us, isn't she, Caiten?" The concern in the barbarian's tone is obvious.

Cevendyll closes his eyes and sends a heartfelt please to his goddess. This taint cannot be allowed to exist in the between-space of even portals as elegant as Alseta's Ring. The aiudara is almost sacred to him -- a place of pure elven ingenuity with magic, and the very site of his reforging. Dahak's essence is a slight against all he holds dear.

Cev's bracer unlocks, the glow striking the dragon's head with a force that causes it to buck to the side. Caiten, running past with Sulee, sees the eyes close in pain. The giant maw opens, letting loose a terrible roar of outrage that echoes through the tunnel, so loud you want to instinctively protect your ears. Yuelral's light is unceasing, boring a hole through the illusory skull. The scales of the dragon's head glow around the edges, just before the image shatters into a thousand thousand little glittering specks, softly floating down the the floor of the tunnel.

The manifestation is gone. Cev knows it's not permanent -- the whole place still feels wrong, infected with evil. But he can also sense it will take a long time for the power to coalesce once more. Days, if not weeks.

The way ahead is clear, the other portal a soft, beckoning glow.

The only way to truly be an agent of grace is to see it through, every moment of its path, to the very end: right now, that path was out the other side of the gateway, and his friends needed to run.

"Run! Run as fast as you can! Lisi & I can fix this later, we all need to leave! Renali, I beseech you, if you would, could you go first to tell whoever is there we mean no evil upon them?"

Cev raced across the charred rooms to the other portal, silently praising Yuelral more than he ever had; "Blessed Sister of Wisdom, I know you love many of our people. I revere you more than I will ever express, and that you should listen to my prayers makes me humble. I know that every shred of magic the elven people have ever conjured is tribute to you, but in my small glimmer of less than elven perfection, you have forged a life the greatest of elves should take pride in. I praise you in every moment I take breath ... "

"Brother of the Hunt, Ketephys, I turn now to you. This taint is no less than the Demon Treerazer on blessed Kyonin: I beg you, watch over those who are passing through your gate, and watch over our hunt in the lands beyond. We may not all be elves, but they hold every shred of greatness the spirits of nature revere. Love them as I love them. Love them as they hunt and purge evil."

The young half-elf touches the arrowhead to the next portal ...

One by one, you leave the tunnel behind, exiting through the far portal. Your vision clouds as you pass through the fog wall, an unsettling feeling as you transition between planes for the briefest of moments, emerging hundreds of miles from Breachill.

Cloying heat and humidity hang heavy in the atmosphere as you find yourselves standing in the middle of an open-air temple, its surrounding stone arches smeared black with recent soot. Charred branches and clumps of roots mark the shape of a garden that once stood here, but the plants and flowers have been ripped up and burned.

In the middle of the ring of stone arches, in the center of a cold pit of charcoal, you see a half-complete wooden pillar that was once capped with a dragon’s visage. The pillar, too, has been put to the flame. What’s left of it stands near a pile of carved rocks and a small sack of cloth.

As the last of you emerges from the archway, Cev’s key passing through it once more, the fog wall begins to undulate for several seconds before finally crystallizing back into stone – the only archway in the ring that is solid. It appears to be an exact duplicate of Huntergate carvings as they appeared in the wall below your Citadel. Beyond the open archways elsewhere sprawls a verdant expanse of a tropical jungle.

Emerging from that jungle are twenty or more dark skinned elves, their bows drawn and trained on you, expressions grim.

Reflex: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (5) + 13 = 18
Society: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22

Yasamina watches as the six-horned head churns out a wave of fire. She instinctively covers her face to not breathe it in, and quietly yelps as the burning sensation washes over her.

She hears Sulee squirm, and opens her eyes to see everyone moving towards the other portal. With no time to wait, and the head preparing for another round, she darts for the other end.

"Rude!" she yells as the head as she runs past, her eyes looking at- whatever the hell it is, trying to catch as many details as possible.

She jumps out the portal on the other side, her clothes still releasing small puffs of smoke as she pats herself down to make sure she is not on fire. She starts looking around, and the frequency of her hand movements slowly grind down to a halt, as she notices weapons ready to fire. She clears her throat as she pats her sternum. She exhales a little cloud of smoke as she does. "Hyuck. Hope I didn't burn too much of my hair. Then again - we might be turned into porcupines soon. For anyone wondering, they're not drow, so that's good news. These are the local elves. Ekujae - wild elves, essentially. I have no idea if they speak Taldane. Maybe Elven? Anyone can give it a try?"

While she speaks, she sloooowly unstraps her belt and her sword and dagger fall into the foliage. She also drops her bow from her backpack, then raises her hands, palms open. "Please tell me you understand me. " she speaks towards the archers.

"Ow. Ow ow ow ow ow Ow." Sulee moans rather loudly. Large sections of her wooden body have been scorched and blackened so much that they are cracking apart. Her clothes have holes burned in them in several places, and her hair is almost completely burned off.

"Caiten, don't you pay attention to anything? 'I dOn't SeE aNytHinG imMeDiaTeLy dAngERouS hErE.' Couldn't you feel the evil in there?"

"You still with us, Sulee?"

"I'll live. Though I may regret that for a while."

Dario emerges from the portal, breathing in the thick air around him. His clothing almost immediately clings to his body, the humidity thick and heavy in the air. The damp smell of the jungle assails his senses, leaving the gunslinger bothered for a moment before he looks amidst the temple there.

"Well, we ain't in Breachill anymore." Dario muttered. He looked back in worry at Sulee and the others, seeing how not everyone was doing as well at avoiding the terrible flames.

A crack of a branch alerts the gunslinger to the approaching form, dark skinned elves appearing from the foliage with their bows drawn and ready to kill. His hands hover his weapons as he looks them over.

Society: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

"Ekujae. Wild elves. Wonderful." Dario mutters, putting a grin on his face before he nodded to the approaching group. "Howdy folks."

Caiten watches the approaching elves cautiously. Sulee is already injured, and likely several others in the group, and he doesn't really want to get into a battle.

But he also knows his own limitations, and talking diplomatically to hostile people is not something that he does well. He looks hopefully to Cevendyll and Lisi to make first contact with these new Elves.

Cev's eyes flash ever so briefly as he wills his holy symbol to open, and then holds it sloft for the elves to see

DIPLO: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (4) + 10 = 14 Diplo1
DIPLO: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (14) + 10 = 24 Diplo2 (HP)

Dario emerges from the portal, breathing in the thick air around him. His clothing almost immediately clings to his body, the humidity thick and heavy in the air. The damp smell of the jungle assails his senses, leaving the gunslinger bothered for a moment before he looks amidst the temple there.

"Well, we ain't in Breachill anymore." Dario muttered. He looked back in worry at Sulee and the others, seeing how not everyone was doing as well at avoiding the terrible flames.

Nodding while he keeps his eyes focused on the elves, "You ain't kidding about that, Dario. Wild elves, huh? Interesting. This ought to be fun." The sarcasm in his tone is indisputable.

Caiten watches the Elves for a bit to see how they react to the group from Breachill. He also searches his memory of Elven traditions that he learned growing up.
Society: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31

Also Elven "We are weary travellers from Breachill and we are injured from our journey. We are here seeking only rest and knowledge."

"Joran, close the face hole." Lisi's eyes flash toward the lumberjack.

Diplomacy: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (10) + 13 = 23

"The term wild elf is faintly insulting," says Lisitsei from the side of his mouth, while keeping his hands raised and his eyes on the Ekujae.

"Joran, close the face hole." Lisi's eyes flash toward the lumberjack.

** spoiler omitted **

[dice=Diplomacy]1d20 + 13

"The term wild elf is faintly insulting," says Lisitsei from the side of his mouth, while keeping his hands raised and his eyes on the Ekujae.

Cutting his eyes toward the druid, "Probably a bit late to warn me of that now, Lis. Let's just hope they don't understand common. I'm guessing they don't considering I'm not yet full of arrows."

"Maybe its cause they think you're pretty, Joran." Dario whispers back, smirking just a little in the face of danger.

"Maybe its cause they think you're pretty, Joran." Dario whispers back, smirking just a little in the face of danger.

With a smug grin, "It wouldn't be the first time my looks got me out of trouble," he claims proudly, waggling his eyebrows.

One of the elves, a man set apart from the others by his gold jewelry and bracers, steps forward into the ruined temple, holding his palms open at his sides to show he is unarmed. The rest of the elves relax the draw of their bowstrings and put their weapons at rest, though their arrows remained nocked, ready to fire quickly.

The elf in gold jewelry stops a respectful distance away and gives a very slight bow. “I am Jahsi, of the Leopard Clan,” he says, speaking with a rich voice in accented Common, soft 'r's and 't's that sounded like 'd's.

Jahsi is a wiry elf with dark brown skin. He wears armor made from iron and wooden plates that have been wrapped in colorful swatches of cloth. The sides of his head are shaved, and the rest of his hair is woven into long, thin braids.

Jahsi takes note of Cev's holy symbol, listening stoically as each of you speaks, seeming to take measure of your character. At Lisi's mention of the portal he nodded. "We must not speak of that where we may be overheard. Please, accompany me to our home, Akrivel. We have people who can see to your wounds, and our leaders will wish to speak with the first people to traverse that place in thousands of years."

Lisi nods. "Let us go." He falls in line with Cev, his small retinue behind him.

We are not the first to travel through the gate. Though correcting him immediately is probably not ideal.

Caiten, still cradling Sulee carefully, follows behind Lisi.

"So uh-", Yasami looks as the rest are leaving, stays silent for a while, then just shrugs, picks up her gear, and follows suit.

"Not gonna lie, first time in a while we meet new people that don't attack on sight. A pleasant surprise, but stay on your toes. Just in case.", she whispers to Oren as they move.