Lesaar AKA DM Dan E's page

After breaking camp and a basic fast of travel rations, you make your way back to the salamanders' cave for the third time.

A single flamebrother waits where you first encountered the mephit and it waves at you to halt while it goes to fetch Lesaar. The newly promoted salamander leader joins you very shortly thereafter with his retinue who watch you as grimly and warily as before.

Lesaar either recognises your desire for urgency or shares it himself and the salamander wastes no time getting you all moving up the southern passage way, the flamebrothers in a tight group at the front and you following.

The passage runs straight and level, more or less, for about sixty feet and you note gladly that the temperature seems to drop as you go. This comes at the cost of your vision and the spellcasters cast their light enchantments.

At this point the passage becomes more uneven, and narrower, the way slowly sloping upward, growing gradually steeper into a rugged natural ladder.

Which seems to dead end in a rough alcove about twenty feet square.

Which makes things rather uncomfortable given the sheer number of you. You end up with Lesaar and a trio of his flamebrothers on one side of the alcove and the rest crowded into the tunnel beyond.

Lesaar faces a section of wall where the stone seems unnaturally smooth and retrieves a handful of clay from a small pouch. He begins to cast, waving one hand rythmically in front of the stone, and it peels away like an orange, revealing more stone beyond.

He repeats the spell, directing it this time further toward the floor and more stone moves, revealing an opening that stretches away into the darkness.

Thiss iss the path, about half a mile long. The path turnss but there is only one way. It leadss ass I ssaid to a lower level of the temple.

So. What do you ssay? Doess our acquaintance end here?

As you like.

I will place a watcher on the other sside if you wissh. You may signal them. Using the passage a ssecond time will cosst you the sspear though. Are we in agreement?

Feel free to keep the conversation going if you like. You might like to decide your camp option though and Zeladiel might want to make advance rolls for your unidentified magic items: small light spiked metal shield, shortspear, 2 small black marbles, petrified monkey hand.

Not in this section of the caves at least although you haven't gone down the southern passage and it might well get cooler the further you get away from the lava. Here its just too hot for anyone without endure elements up. Think exceedingly hot day where you are now, sauna in the snake / mud pit rooms, hotter near the lava pool.

There are many hundredss of gnollss although not all sseem to dwell in the Temple. Do you intend to wipe every one of them out? Even sso I would expect otherss to come in time. It iss their profane place, a link to their mighty Rovagug. The salamander seems almost to smirk at the last. Thratniass only thought to her own dessires and my brotherss ssuffered for it. I musst think to the longer term.

Lesaar inclines his head slightly as you whisper to each other. Its unclear whether he heard you but Zeladiel and Khalid at the least can recall that salamanders are a perceptive race...

Thiss mountain is riddled with passagess. He inclines his head to the southern tunnel. One leadss to the older ssections of the Temple, long abandoned. Recently they have been reclaimed by the gnollss who ussed their sslaves to dig them out. Why they bothered iss beyond me, the gnollss are lazy ass a rule but their Carrion King commandss and they obey.

Their excavationss re-connected the passage here. Thratniass did not wissh gnollss in the tunnels and I blocked the way with my magic. The blockage can be removed with the proper knowledge and sspellss.

The later I will need to prepare but it would sseem that you would wissh to resst regardless.

I will keep our bargain. You have defeated Thratniass and me and mine have no sstake in your conflict with the gnollss.

However.

I will not keep a passage open that the gnollss might usse to attack uss. Their actionss recently have been ... erratic. Know that I will closse the way after you pass... unless you give me incentive not too...

Slight rejig then. Tempature is a little over Grall's threshold for natural endure elements.

Sajan has barely cleared the rope when Nuveril is striding across the room, hammer up while others follow.

Palm out, Linah channels, and while it is to heal, the positive energy certainly seems unpleasant to the salamanders who flinch openly as the soft light passes over them.

The three flamebrothers shift their spears as the halfling gets close but a last second command from Lesaar has them stand down and you file past.

Four more of the flamebrothers hold position in the snake room but they move aside and allow you to pass.

Half a minute or so later and with the flamebrothers following behind in silence you reach the cooler tempatures of the entry room.

I trusst thiss is more to your liking? Lesaar says with another smile.

Back to save every ten minutes with Grall (and obviously Linah) resistant.

Grall finishes his climb and the rest of the group follow as quickly as they can. Fortunately you can all accelerated climb while taking 10.

Sajan is last and as he nears the top the monk feels a crushing wave of heat as Linah's blessing expires. Linah remains fresh as a daisy (well a wounded daisy) while sweat almost immediately starts pouring out of the rest of you.

It ends up fairly crowded in the mudpool room. Lesaar and a trio of his flamebrothers stand by the exit to the snake room while you take up position on the other side.

Lesaar appraises each of the newcomers carefully while the flamebrothers finger their black iron spears warily.

Well it sseems you have ssucceeded admirably although perhapss we sshould adjourn to conditionss more hosspitable for you. No doubt you recovered Thratniass's sspear, a weapon of certain ssignificance to our kind. Making a gift of it would certainly help to cement our new alliance, don't you think?

Extreme heat (air temperature over 140° F, fire, boiling water, lava) deals lethal damage. Breathing air in these temperatures deals 1d6 points of fire damage per minute (no save). In addition, a character must make a Fortitude save every 5 minutes (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Those wearing heavy clothing or any sort of armor take a –4 penalty on their saves.

The salamander leader's serpentine features are inscrutable.

Ass you ssay. You will find her near the lava poolss.

I would ssuggest dealing with the mephit. It will only get in your way.

You leave, the salamanders making no move to stop you, arriving back in the first chamber. It is a little cooler here although still uncomfortable.

There iss a path. It iss blocked but with my magic may be opened.

Forgive me the cultural lessson, but we are flamebrotherss. We are the Lessser. Our massters are the Greater. That iss how it hass alwayss been with our kind.

Our leader here, in this forssaken, frossty place is Thratniass. Sshe is of the Greater. But sshe is a lazy, indolent creature! Sshe keepss uss from the hottesst placess, resserving it for her favoritess! Sshe forbidss uss from digging deeper to ssearch for a gate.

Kill her, that iss my tassk. Do that and I will open the path to the lower cavernss.

Your sspellcasterss. You may be able to purchasse our conssiderable asssisstance with a minor sservice from them.

Can either casst a sspell of planar travel or create a localissed planar reverssion?

The salamander's leader cocks its head sidewise at Zeladiel, its long tongue flicking rapidly in and out between its slightly open mouth.

Sss you try my patience. You invade our territory, bind our sservant and expect me to ssatissfy your ... your curiossity?

You mammals undersstand the concept of trade, yes? You tell me what you want and I tell you whether your dessire can be accomodated and the price.

Now if all you want iss information then sspeak your need.

A few minutes later and the north passage fills with more of the spear wielding salamanders, another five to join the two guards and the messenger.

Together they form up into a neat phalanx not quite holding their spears in a ready position.

Behind them comes another, taller and carrying a long iron staff instead of a spear. It wears a bronze necklace from which hang three small metal vials and bracers of the same kind work their way up and down its long arms in a pattern of concentric circles.

It takes a long appraising look at you and the bound mephit before speaking in perfect, although raspy, common.

I am Lessaar the ssorcerer, sspeaker. It is traditional for ssuplicantss to wait in the reception chamber. My kin are not patient with intruderss. Nor with timewassterss. What do you want of me?