Once more into the breach...

[AthasianLaborer]

While invisible, 'Muiko and Yvera will emphasize Niachi's negotiations with stage whispered harmonies.

"Yessss, Masssster, Sssshadowfury" "Obey and be rewarded"

"Your ssssafe return is guaranteed if you agree" "perfect emissssary"

"Yessss, sssspeak" "Sssspeak now!"

[DM Bob]

The mephits had slowly walked away after the magical tale. They seem a bit disoriented even as the wander off, much further than a direct line to the City of Brass. If the City were due East, the mephits turned more south. This would mean the where the hags first met you would be slightly south-east by this alignment.

At the mention of the Dying God's Heart, the salamander child's eyes widen and his coppery face somehow pales.

"I kind of know this place here."

He points his spear shakily towards the rock behind you.

He turns to what you might consider due north while holding his pointing stance and continues.

"If you mean the Heart of 'Osuth? That's not far from where the egg fields lay... but it isn't a short trip from here if I remember right. Please don't kill me. My pa told me that Outlanders aren't to be trusted. I always thought you were stories to scare us kids."

He is visibly shaking.

[Attilius]

The gladiator does his best but fails miserably at stifling his laugh at the boys palpable fear.
"Yer pa's stories probably true kid, but we's ain't like dem shits. Help us and we'll help you..." he says honestly with a shrug

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Skrye just listens to the conversation, to avoid adding any more stress in the one that may be so far at the moment.

[OOC: Locate Object spell (6hrs40min), Protection vs Fire, Barkskin (AC 0, 4rnds).
AC 3, 48/48HP; SPELLS 1stLvl(4/5), 2ndLvl(5/5), 3rdLvl(2/4), 4thLvl(3/3)]

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

While Niachi is busy with his summoning of a fire plane creature Quila sits very near him to profit from the amulet her elf compatriot wears.

She then takes out a small bowl and pours some water into it, something she wasn't sure would work very well outside of the protective radius of the amulet. She spins Snarf's Fang of Knowing in it and concentrates on getting her inner compass attuned to the fiery planes of the Hearth.

With her senses adjusted and attuned she stretches and waits for Niachi's summons to turn up.

(OOC: rolled 8 on 20 for Know Direction and successfully--4 on 14--power manipulated it, causing Quila to know for a full day what north is. Rolled 14 on 17 for Radial Navigation and successfully--6 on 14--power manipulated it, making Quila know both where she is in relation to our starting point but also making her able to retrace her steps there.)

[DM Bob]

"Meowth! A prop-purrr challenge!" The voice within her head proclaims happily. "So strange! A world outside our own."

The item verifies what was said earlier with my cardinal directions for ease of navigation and referral. -Bob

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Quila says in elven to Niachi “Please ask him what he deems short or far. And what are these egg fields? I certainly don’t want us to upset some breeding grounds of a native beast. We all know how a mekillot mother is.”

[Umbris (AC 2 | HP 37/37)]

"I dunno, I'd like some eggs. I wonder if theyre prepoached..."

[Niachi]

As they move north, and seeing the young fire-kin in obvious fear (or just faking it knowing their general disposition) Niachi lowers his voice and in a calmer tone:

"Easy now, eh? Now off we all go! Your keen green eyes see how fast we march, How many hours march to that place? If you measure time some other way do try to educate us. You were chosen as our ambassador of The Hearth! Not yer pa or ma or some dread Lord of your kind (he looks relieved)

AND, What's this 'egg fields" business? sounds like trouble we don't need. I'll assume they're not for eating, but I been wrong before.  Can we pass it without harm?

We must press hard, with our smallest carried by our largest. Time is against us!

And you might learn strange and clever things in the company of Outlanders! The tales you will tell of this grand adventure!
You know my name, potential warlord. What do we call you?"

His brow furrows with effort to keep the Salamander at their side.

[DM Bob]

"Time? I don't believe in it myself. You know the three pulses, right? Rising; dimming? It is six pulses on the dimming away."

"Egg fields, that's where my clutch was born."

"You can call me, Hryn."

He will not be able to travel too close as the protections you have enabled will keep him at minimum 10' away. Hryn is not likely to enter the cooler area you project either - without commands being made. Imagine it like when a chef has to inventory the deep walkin freezer.

[Attilius]

Attilius takes rear security guard with his head on a swivel

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

-Skrye gets closer to the fire protection aura as she watches and listens to what's happening.

[OOC: Locate Object spell (6hrs40min), Protection vs Fire, Barkskin (AC 0, 3rnds).
AC 3, 48/48HP; SPELLS 1stLvl(4/5), 2ndLvl(5/5), 3rdLvl(2/4), 4thLvl(3/3)]

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Quila walks in the middle per our default marching scheme.

(elven)“So six hours huh? How much time does that leave us? Less than eighteen before we need to reapply our oil. And what is our plan of escape? I do think we need to take into account a serious efreeti committee upon our return to the dancing rock.”

[Attilius]

As they walk, the gladiator walks next to the teen for a bit
"Hryn is it? Well met! I'm Attilius, gladiator and weaponsmith ov da great Criterion Colosseum (he says with some pride.) Mind if i's look at your spear? You can hold my weapon too?" he holds out his gouge as he asks with true smithy curiosity

[DM Bob]

As you begin to move forward, it does not take long to observe that Hyrn is no going to be able to lead at the pace you currently present for long.

Player knowledge: Move of 9

The inferno before you spins as if a tidal wave of wildfire. The colors are stunning. No campfires can compare to the infinite roils of combustion that so easily exist here within the Eternal Forge. Purples, oranges, reds of all hues... they roar loudly and proudly as well. The ground feels much like walking upon a skin held taut, gives and takes with every step onto the weird compressed fires. Then and again, the immediate sound dims. Only to begin with a crashing roar once more.

Then something odd occurs after a bit of travel. A large blast dominates your entire field of vision, passing through the spinning inferno as if a larger source triggered another cataclysmic event. This is buffered by the protections that so barely keep you safe. The salamander child smiles and says, "That is a pulse. Five or so more of those and we should be at the Heart."

Hmm. You need at least another pulse to have any idea of what that means... assuming all pulses are equi-temporal that is.