Hopping through folds like time bandits...

[Niachi]

Niachi accepts marching order with him in the middle, making sure his familiar is treated with the fireproofing oil and stays inside his pack. He casts Detect Invisible and Cat's Grace on himself and decides on bow and nocked steel arrow as they approach the ancient stone portal.

He mentions he will need a long pause before we dance to

"Conjure a rather stupid sort of Fire-kin, a firesnake vermin to guide us to where we need to go. The safest and quickest route for US. I will be completely focused on keeping it on its job. I will have none of my spells or weapons available along the way, unless I wish it gone.

The bright side is: it's not evil, not until it wants to be. It may betray us but Jerm-Ayn (he spits the name) might already have that planned. I will also have a mental alarm set to trigger if anything uses our gateway, on either side. If anyone has a better plan on reaching our goal, now's the time."

When its known they are being watched, he is quiet and taps Kaw-Rawk to keep watch on his flanks, using hand gestures.

CON roll for Detect Invisibility: 3 (success)
DEX improves to 17, duration 9 hours

Detect Invisibility: 45 rounds.

[Attilius]

"So no magik gouge den?" Attilius asks Niachi as he pulls his own oil out and begins covering himself in the magical goo.

Turning to Coden, he asks "Centurion, let me buy dat finger lime off yous? If we git in da shit, that'll help me even da odds..."

[Niachi]

Replying softly to the goliath:

“Not now my friend, maybe bad choice for us. If others think it best, I will do it, with a longer delay…”

He watches and listens for trouble.

[Attilius]

He nods as he continues the oil application.

[DM Bob]

As Quila thinks about the feeling watched sensation, Jermain remarks over the silty screaming wind, "I've heard of this Dead Power's Heart. While we never visited it, it is the grave marker of a war fought long in the past - of the efreeti against the Outsiders. Athas is one of the few that have shrugged off their yoke. It lies in the hottest part of the Forge... those who align differently than the fire pashas are said to lurk there."

[Attilius]

The brute shrugs "The enemy ov ma enemy?"

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Jul 24, 2024 3:24:57 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

As Quila thinks about the feeling watched sensation, Jermain remarks over the silty screaming wind, "I've heard of this Dead Power's Heart. While we never visited it, it is the grave marker of a war fought long in the past - of the efreeti against the Outsiders. Athas is one of the few that have shrugged off their yoke. It lies in the hottest part of the Forge... those who align differently than the fire pashas are said to lurk there."

Does Quila have the feeling of being watched in general or per her psionic sensitivity (Sensitivity to Observation, which might be problematic given their location)?

Hearing Jermain talk about the dancing stone (which I surmise he's on about, not so much Giustenal itself?), Quila replies "Ah, I was wondering indeed whether you had knowledge about the ruins of Giustenal. Who was the power here back in your previous master's heydays? And what yoke have we shrugged off, from the Outsiders?"

[AthasianLaborer]

"Yes, I am also curious to know if it knows anything about these ruins" 'Muiko looks more to the staff than Quila before saying "Do you know where this Forge is relative to the floating City of Brass?  What else can you tell us of the Dead Power's Heart?  Who are these creatures that you speak of that 'align differently than the fire pashas'?  Are you suggesting that we might encounter creatures of Air or Earth or-" he chuckles "-even Water in our travels there?"  Tari 'Muiko squints and gazes intensely at the staff.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- "Fire is capricious, short-tempered and highly flammable, I can imagine that passion is also imbued in it, the wrath and the goals for a cause. At least this is my understanding of with the concept of 'aligning with'" - relating to everyone yet no passion or emotional outcome are delivin her pitch, fire is not what she devoted her existence to

[OOC: Locate Object spell (7hrs), Protection vs Fire, Barkskin (AC 0, 8rnds).
AC 3, 48/48HP; SPELLS 1stLvl(4/5), 2ndLvl(4/5), 3rdLvl(3/4), 4thLvl(3/3)]

[DM Bob]

Does Quila have the feeling of being watched in general or per her psionic sensitivity (Sensitivity to Observation, which might be problematic given their location)?

Both.

Post with history incoming when I have a bit more time to type.

-Bob

[DM Bob]

"Ah, I was wondering indeed whether you had knowledge about the ruins of Giustenal. Who was the power here back in your previous master's heydays? And what yoke have we shrugged off, from the Outsiders?" Queried Quila.

"Those are two completely different subjects, but I will try my best to remember properly." Jermaine replied deeply.

"Giustenal is old. Like layers upon layers of old, it was here long before the Warbringer and still lies here in echoing fragments. Myron once called the Champion that took this city a friend and ally... he took this place by force after killing the giant king Taraskir and his army that then called it home. But they weren't the first occupiers here."

"That old ally, the third reagent of Rajaat, Master Dregoth was a force of sheer power & savagery, coupled with a nearly unparalleled mind. He was such an imposing figure that the other Sorcerer Monarchs began to worry and fret. They put him down to dirt much like you did to Myron. The sheer chaos they unleashed that day caused what you see here even now. A cursed, evil and vexed ruin. Dregoth died that day and even the Man-Gods of the City-states give this place a wide berth."

"To answer your other question, well... some other worlds have True Gods, similar to your own patron, that can grant boons to their supplicants. Unlike Athas, these Powers are in full control of their vestige, and only grow stronger with more worshipers, sacrifices or realms bent to knee. Here..." You imagine the stave gesturing about. "The Elemental Lords killed their source of Power and took it for their own. They then used a good portion of that raw energy to wall off our world from the others."

"But they didn't seal it completely; power has a tendency to leak. That is why travel is still possible from hither and yonder. This was the focus of my master and his brother's work. To see what powers they could attain from beyond, to allow them to rebuild Athas into a paradise once more. Or to use as a weapon. The Warbringer was more concerned with the latter than the former."

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Questioning Jermaine - "Which powers? Where are located? If these ones really existed, remaining vestiges would still be around in Athas, and nowhere news are heard, not even seen in any of the tapestries we saw in the past.
And even if that was true, surely nothing comparable to the Elemental Lords, and Earth as the first and only one between them, yet I'm still interested in learning of such old tales" - without any mockery in her tone.

She pulls her hoodie down, only to clean her rodent face with her paws, whiskas and ears before setting her hoodie up once again

[Niachi]

To Scrye:

"Powers and vestiges! Right in front of you, dear earth-ling! Some pray to magma! Some even to this blasted dust as a divinity..."

Niachi takes Jermayn's bait by shouting back against the abrasive churn and whispers:


"And what else leaked back in sir? Radiance! And its twin, the luscious Dark just beyond all this. Might be your master who learned to awaken the shadow weaving that my kin dabble in. No ash and destruction in our work. We leave this tortured place alone..."

He dampens his tone to the calm neutrality in his core:

"Our protections demand haste in the Forge. The longer we stay alive, the longer you do, however limited. Maybe we return to cleanse your spirit, give you peace. If we work together. If not..."

Classic Elven testing his companions kind of thing.

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Skrye nods at Niachi's latter words - "If we churn, Jermaine will melt, that's a reality in that domain" - then looking at him - "Which powers and vestiges are you speaking about? Fire burns because it has material to alight, material grew in the land, air flows through its surface, water has its reflecting pools sit in oasis and other locations along the vast of earth, as all the creatures roaming within. Magma and the other called paraelemental forces.

You can see, feel, touch, notice and live from, each one of these in one of other degree yet all if we speak of the Lords of Earth. Which other believes should be needed?" - like saying that anything else would make no sense, not talking in any offensive manner neither in her speech neither to him

[AthasianLaborer]

Looking to Niachi as he finishes the thought "If not? We'll see what that metal looks like melted [Elven: I doubt the puddle would be so chatty]"