Terrain of flame

[DM Bob]

This realm is hard to put into words. Easier to explain through art, poetry or describing experiences we've shared. Time is near meaningless. Only a ripple of combustion marks the hours past.

Everything is fire in every direction. The ground, for the most part, is composed of compressed flame. You walk with a spring or bounce to your step. Not entirely flat, but no real danger of tripping. The blue "river" before you seems to be a mockery of water. There is no real flow to it and the propane flame caresses in ways that water just cannot. While lesser in density, you can tread through it with your powerful arcane protections. In any other circumstance, you'd have been incinerated to elemental ash long before having to ponder how this is even possible.

Think of Disney's Fantasia. An insane cartoonist renders what you see with a chaotic mixture of oil pastel, watercolor and acrylic paints. While flame-kin and elementals certainly bathe, dance and exist here and there, they are not easy to see. The constant effect is of staring into a bonfire until your eyes sweat and begin to hallucinate.

Then the sound. Normal conversation is difficult. The aircraft engine roar of a million million forest fires. The whispers of tiny fires. An unpredictable thrum and pulse, the very fucking rhythm of fire itself. Every warlock's firecraft, every Sorcerer Monarch's templar and every fire cultist draws some if not all of their power from here...

And pales in comparison. Look at how much they need to do to mimic a fraction of this, this engine of reality.

Hryn smiles weakly.

"This has been something, I will likely get beat for disappearing so. Maybe someday I'll find a way to visit your world... but," He shudders, "I think I'd rather stay warm. If you continue on this direction, eventually there will be a large dip before the climb to the egg fields and eventually the Heart. You cannot miss it."

He seems to think for a second and says, "Beware the dra-"... before fading out of existence before you.

So after, you see reddish orange fire cross the blue river to your left. These look like the fire elementals that wizards and shamans summon to Athas, the ones that have been following you curiously. They are thirteen in number and vary in size.

[AthasianLaborer]

'Muiko will add the 13 elementals to the marginalia, walking up the left-hand border.

Artistic Ability rolled a 20 needing 13 or less [Failure.]

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

"dra-" Quila mimics the faded away salamander youngster. "He had all the time to warn us and he leaves mid-sentence. Splendid. Drake, dragon, whatever. It would seem aside from those elemental voyeurs on our flanks and the terrain itself being disorienting and disquieting, there's another bump in the road ahead. Let's continue."

[Attilius]

"Mmmmmm... Attilius affirms in response to Q as he slowly pulls out his invisible axe from its calf sheath. He takes point following the teens directions...

[Niachi]

Niachi nods to Quila, resumes middle position, his hand extended in farewell to their guide.

His voice fights to be heard above the hearth's mesmerizing din:

"Salamander spears are the main alloy of Fire Resistance rings. Their blood the essence of this oil we use... One in 10,000 advances to be a Noble. The generals. They specialize in ruining these protections keeping us alive...nasty bastards..."

He watches the pack of elementals on their trail.

"Not too bright, those. Best to not provoke them."

To Kaw-Rawk circling above:

{Stay watchful up there! Return to me at any danger}

[DM Bob]

You walk. There are dips and rises as you travel. The party of thirteen that parallels your pace is eventually joined by a large number of fluttering fiery butterflies or moths that circle over your heads. Sparks drop from their wings as the flap about. This is after another hour of walking.

Eventually a second pulse hits and a wave of insane combustion courses over and through your ranks. According to your time tracking abilities, you find it has been 6 hours since the first pulse. The fluttering fire moths leave at this point, having been caught up in the wave itself.

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

Is silently freaking he everloving fuck out. Again, this world is just... too alien for the poor halfling to actually grasp. So, he rationalizes it. His new tribe has given him "spiritual" oil. This has to be a hard as fuck trip. The ever roaring flame is starting to wear on him.... but he has to deal with it. 

"Heheheheheheheh.... flaming moths, yay.... salamanders, Flanders... fladers." He takes a deep breath "So much sound. So much. Too much."

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Upon observing this second pulse Quila is again awestruck by the raw power coursing through this place. She will definitely have new stories for the book she and Gruv are going to work on.

”Only four more of those according to Hryn and we should be at the Hearth. Although we do move a tad bit faster now without his slithering movements.”

[AthasianLaborer]

[Elven: "Oh, great!  There's another 3- 6- 9- {estimated total} and fliers no less! Do you think they think they outnumber us sufficently to attack or do we get to watch them gather more forces for us?  If the rest of you should fall, I will do what I can to complete our duties.  It is obvious the group can't hide from them, we should deal with them one way or another before they choose to deal with us violently"] 

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Looking at Muiko and getting close enough to earshot whisper - "What about if you mimic their behaviour to act and appear as one of them in case of any issue?" - remembering the easiness to shape form

[OOC: Locate Object spell (5hrs 30mins), Protection vs Fire.

AC 3, ; SPELLS 1stLvl(4/5), 2ndLvl(5/5), 3rdLvl(2/4), 4thLvl(3/3)]

[DM Bob]

The little fluttering things do not return. Luckily curiosity seems to be the general mission objective concerning your strange and unlikely visit. There is a good chance you'll need to set camp in the pavilion tent eventually, as the oil will not last forever and your amulet needs to recharge. As of this moment, you feel that if the efreeti knew where you were or where you were going that they'd have shown by now.

One of the few things that belay the paranoia you tend to exhibit.

Well, I guess there's the fire folk, but since they have kept their distance... and knowing that the salamanders lie further away than you've currently travelled, perhaps a rest isn't the worst of things. Not like anything is going to catch more on fire.

[Attilius]

Attilius looks for a defensive or more hidden space among the rolling "flame dunes"

[DM Bob]

It looks all the much the same to you. Do you pitch camp?

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

“Let us use our time and protection wisely. Could we keep marching on for at least another pulse and an hour or two and then rest. This would make the most use of our protections which we can reapply under the protection of the amulet.”

[Attilius]

The giant grunts his agreement and presses on as point.