Camping with the biggest campfire...

[DM Bob]

The assembly of the large crimson and black tent goes by quickly considering it's size. Perhaps twelve minutes pass as you manage to pitch it where there is a bit less incline. The thirteen flame-kin watch curiously as you finish this mundane task and then enter the strange space.

This time is smells not of hag sex or opiates. The first thing you feel is the blessed cool air, like early evening in the desert after a rare cloudy day. A large basin sit in the middle of comfy pillows, filled with clean looking water. The light is generous, but not too bright. You easily fit within and after closing the tent opening, the loud noise of the Eternal Hearth is mute once again.

You warily regard the rear door, which is currently tied shut.

[Attilius]

The giant drinks heavily of the basin before stating
"I ain't tired - I'll take first watch" and heads back outside

[AthasianLaborer]

'Muiko will be a hospitable host, waiting until last to take a drink. 

While waiting, he will double check if the tent flap doors are still affected by his Wizard Locks. 

He will then make himself visible just before taking his drink, yawning loudly and sprawling in whatever counts for the "master suite" of pillows in the opulent tent.  "I wouldn't be too anxious, my Will is strong, those Locks should hold.  Few things are guaranteed though, wake me for third watch or if there is any trouble you cannot quell on your own <yawn>"

[DM Bob]

Jermain speaks to Quila in his usual baritone.

"Ah. Now I can be heard. The roar of the Hearth is quite intense, eh, beautiful? A quick couple of things I've noticed. One, you've done well in finding a decent guide and you'll find that those elementals quite hate the efreet-tay. The other thing? I think I recall Myron and Aman travelling though this tent once or twice before to gather their lar-vay. One such time, the hags were able to seal the door behind them with a phrase... much like your elf wishes to do with his own wards. Let me think..."

"I believe that the keywords were, "Kala-ga," to seal it shut and to open it, "Si-ga."

"They never used those phrases with the back door. One used to joke around how their back door was always open."

Somehow the stave shudders as if imagining something quite foul.

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

Umbris giggles as he shudders, then goes and starts to sniff around, before eventually rolling around in a pile of pillows like a dog does in something smelly. Except this time, he's the one getting oil and dust and dirt and hairs everywhere

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- The Tari listens the baritone explanation of Jermaine, wondering if it has so much knowledge or if it's made up - 'Perhaps having found Quila gives it a sense of behaving and it's not as evil as I primarily thought, yet even in a flower that grows in the mud flats, a thorn is still a thorn..' - then her eyes turn towards the halfling, looking at his eccentric behaviour for a moment before returning to the conversation that Quila has with Jermaine - "Jermaine, do you remember any important or curious well-detailed item in the direction of that city we are heading to?" - looking at everyone - "The more we are wandering, the higher the chances that we get caught by the efreeti and lower the chance to reach our goal.."

[OOC: Locate Object spell (45mins), Protection vs Fire.

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

[DM Bob]

"The City of Brass is best avoided by mortals. While secrets can be had there, the cost was always deemed too high by my previous owner and his brother. Indentured servitude was never their style. This plane was begrudgingly used as a launching point to other even stranger realms as the walls here are thinner than that of the Prime. Please direct your questions to my wielder though, shaman. My respect is mainly for her and her only unless she commands it."

The water drank is potable and carries no ill effects (at least for now) and the pillows and bedding are quite comfy.

Please tell me how long you wish to rest.

[Attilius]

Proposed 8 hour watch order split into three blocks:

Watch 1
Attilius Gladiator
Coden Psion/Former Fighter

Watch 2
Quila Psion/Templar
Skrye Cleric/bard
Umbris Rogue

Watch 3
Muiko Mage
Niachi Fighter/Shadow Mage

[Niachi]

Niachi drinks the 'water' and takes a dark corner to rest, with Kaw-Rawk curled up nearby.

"So now we know the Hearth is a known stepping stone.. Can we time our next Nap to replenish our spells and mental reserves?"

Spells available: 2/1/2/1/1

[AthasianLaborer]

"Agreed." 'Muiko says as he rummages through the pillows to ensure there's nothing dangerous hidden amongst them.  He'll then customize the arrangement of the pillows to his liking before settling in once again.  "I wonder how many other access points there are between here and the Tablelands" 'Muiko looks towards the secured back door flap "I am also curious of the lands through there-- Averntus didn't you say?" he looks to Quila with these last words.

[Niachi]

Casts Portal Alarm before his rest:
CON roll: 3 success.

Duration: 9 hours
Caster is mentally woken /alerted if target portal is messed with.
No apparent sign of the spell getting triggered.

spells available: 2/0/2/1/1

[Skrye [AC3; 48/48HP]]

- Skrye nods at the watches and gulps a potion to protect against the uncomfortable heat of the plane, hoping that the following day they can get hold of what they look for and leave as fast as they arrived

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

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

[Quila Oris (John M.)]

Aug 22, 2024 5:56:01 GMT -12 DM Bob said:

Jermain speaks to Quila in his usual baritone.

"Ah. Now I can be heard. The roar of the Hearth is quite intense, eh, beautiful? A quick couple of things I've noticed. One, you've done well in finding a decent guide and you'll find that those elementals quite hate the efreet-tay. The other thing? I think I recall Myron and Aman travelling though this tent once or twice before to gather their lar-vay. One such time, the hags were able to seal the door behind them with a phrase... much like your elf wishes to do with his own wards. Let me think..."

"I believe that the keywords were, "Kala-ga," to seal it shut and to open it, "Si-ga."

"They never used those phrases with the back door. One used to joke around how their back door was always open."

Somehow the stave shudders as if imagining something quite foul.

"It is indeed nice and quiet again. I could not hear my own thoughts in that din. Ah, it is good for you confirm my hunch that these elementals would sooner be an enemy of our own possible enemies, it's a tactical piece of know-how."

Quila walks about the tent and on Jermain's prompting pulls the tentflap a bit further taut and speaks the word "Kala-ga" in order to shut the front door. "Like this?" she prompts Jermain.

To 'Muiko she says, "Let's not take any chances with that flap leading into Avernus, for all we know, that hag gets a signal somehow that this tent is erect again and she can easily approach and get in from the Avernus side."

Then she focuses on Jermain again, and questions him further, "So what further places did Myron take you to from here? Can you name those places or describe them to me? Did he go there for other needs like larvae, or was it for indulging in his curiosity?"

Quila will eventually take a seat near 'Muiko and sleep for a bit before taking up her stint in the watch schedule. Before she goes to sleep she will cast both a Wyvern Watch (lvl 2) right before the back tent flap and warn her friends about staying away there for 8 hours, and she will cast a Hand of Fate (lvl 4) upon herself.

[DM Bob]

"In Avernus, we followed a river of blood directly away from a gigantic tower of skulls while humoring the largest of the hags. Eventually we travelled through a gate after bartering with the locals. Wretchedly wicked folk, full of spines and talons and false promises. There we found ourselves in a woman's tub... she was quite the being to behold and even weirder that she did not mean us immediate harm. She directed us out of her tower to a dark realm, dying, blackened forests, bubbling tar mires and strange cobble roads. We followed this to get within sight of a lake of what appeared to be blood to our left and eventually to a skull-posted crossroads. Our hag guide turned back from here, more than content to spend some time with the strange lady and her tower. We avoided the crossroads as we noticed the skull beginning to animate... beyond we found a mass of standing stones, and after figuring out a puzzle with divinations, were able to suss out a way to a hub of these strange outlands, a City of a likes we'd never seen before.

There was an issue though. Our primary missions beyond the realm of the Tablelands was to find ways to harness any new found power in order to advance the pace of the Cleansing Wars. We had our own time limit involved with the Warbringer's plans and we were not sure of exactly how time was flowing due to our previous smaller excursions beyond Athas. We traded knowledge with the locals and learned of a way back to the Eternal Hearth and from there finally returned home.

After that, any of my previous master's planar travels were without me in hand. I believe he was worried that if I were ever compromised, that too much knowledge of his deepening studies could be stolen."

***

"Kala-ga."

At those words, a powder blue sigil glows about the "front door".

***

To be continued after dinner. -Bob

[DM Bob]

While sleeping during the first shift, Umbris has a dream of standing in the tent alone. Focusing upon the basin that holds the potable water, he sees what looks to be a small nick in the base. He can't help but touch it, revealing a small hidden niche. Inside, a small flat rectangular box (similar in size and shape to a safety deposit box) rests. It seems to be made of a dark, deep wood and has a very advanced lock visible from the front.

Then you awake as the shift of guards changes, wondering if indeed something like this exists.