Vesra spoke to her familiar in hushed tones off to the side. "Go play for a little while," she said after a few moments, to which Ember happily ran off to play in one of the lava flows. "Thank you for the help!"
"Ember helped me understand the benefits and pitfalls of both routes," she relayed the information. In the background, Ember ran through the lava gleefully, showering fire on top of himself. "Above ground we have room to run, but can't see the flows. Below ground, we run the risk of getting trapped, but we'll be able to see the lava better. Ember was also very adamant that I relay to you all that his vote goes to going above ground, because there will be more fun lava to play in."
"I like the way Ember thinks!" Kayn says as he hops off his mount and heads over towards the lava flow. He sits down at a nice, hot spot and starts to cover his skin in ash. It feels sooo good. Playfully, he launches a fire bolt in Ember's direction and watches as he catches it. He does it a few more times as he massages the ash in.
Ato stares out over the field of lava, displeasure clearly etched on his face. "I'd prefer we take our chances above ground and pick our way across. The thought of being trapped underground..." He tapers off, not even able to finish the sentance.
Veythe flushes at being caught -- for a moment she'd forgotten about the kor twins being there. I'm...fine. Frustrated at my lack of inattentiveness. She huffs, and quietly listens to everyone as they debate the next course of action. Veythe shivered at the sight of lava flows and not because she was actually cold. In fact she was quite warm and it was frustrating.
"I vote above," Veythe said aloud. "I'd rather not be stuck in a large overheated tube that could flood."
"Flood with lava," adds Ato - not so helpfully. "Are we sure we can;t find a way around? Can your bat fly around and see how big this area really is, Kayn?"
As everyone stood around debating the next move, Vasha moved away from the group, and pulled out an old looking book with wrinkled pages, in which she started writing and sketching in. She would sometimes glance up at the group, then turn her attention back to the pages.
Kayn turns, rotating like a pinwheel on his butt, "Sear is tired from watching the group last night. Unless we use tunnels, I rather he rest." He then pinwheel's back at Ember, launching a fire bolt as he does. He thought he could catch the lil elemental off-guard, but he easily leaps from the lava and snags it.
"There is another thing..." He points to the volcano further away, "There is written in one of my texts that a volcano such as this one was used to defeat the ancients. There may be a bit of treasure in that area if we decide it is worth looking." He hurls another fire bolt Ember's way.
"It was worth asking, at least. It does seem like it stretches far enough we have no choice anyway. I still think we should stay above ground though. Ember thinks that's a good idea, at least." He looks out over the field of lava flows, steam, and death and sighs. "We can't just sit here, no matter what. Let's just get across and put it behind us." He adjusts the pack on his shoulders and waits for a decision - above or below.
Ember's laugh sounded like the crackling of flames, and the party could hear him having the time of his little life. He playfully caught all of Kayn's firebolts, and decided it would be a good idea to return the favor. He launched a flame of his own right at the goblin, and was pleased to watch it connect solidly in the middle of his back. Silly goblin, he should know not to turn his back on an enemy.
"Ember!" Vesra scolded. "There are rules... Remember what happened with Vasha?... I realize that he was throwing them at you... Yes, but that is still not... I understand where you're coming from... Well, now you know for next time... No, you can keep playing, just no more burning people." The druid sighed and turned back to the rest of the group. "I'm sorry, I'm still learning."
The Kor woman cast druidcraft, this time to predict the weather. She doubted it would foresee any minor lava incidents, but she at least wanted to be warned if there would be a major eruption. A small, cloudy orb appeared before them, ash swirling in to the mix. "More clouds and ash," she nodded as the orb dissipated. "If we go above ground, perhaps Ember and I should lead the way. Maybe he'll be able to help a little bit? It's better than nothing."
"Do we even have enough to last us that detour, Kayn" Veythe worried her lip between her teeth with narrowed eyes. She wasn't too certain how comfortable she felt getting closer to an ancient killer. While the thought of useful treasure was certainly tempting, Veythe felt more concerned about their limited supply. She glanced over to Vesra after a second, then raised a hand tiredly.
Kayn didn't even seem to notice the fire bolt at his back. He felt a little bit of an impact, but when he turned back around to Ember, the poor elemental was being scolded! "Is ok Vessie! Goblins are good at ignoring fire. I didn't even feel it!"
"I think maybe Ember and I should be ahead. If I get burned, it doesn't hurt too much. Also, Ember has very little weight, so at least if I stand where he leads we can see if I fall in!" He stands, now that Vesra ruined the game, and heads over to the Gnarlid. There, he pulls out a rope and ties it around himself securely. He ties the other end around the Gnarlid's saddle.
Finally he says, "When I go ahead, at least if I fall I can be pulled back out. Ok? Are we ready? Single file!"
Deciding traversing above ground was safer than travelling through the lava tubes, the group stomachs through the awful sulfur smell and begins cautiously making their way across the lava flow. Bursts of steam jettison from the ground around the group, causing some to jolt or jump in surprise, though never close enough to risk injury. The ground itself is hot, though the shoes worn offer protection from the heat emanating just below the surface.
Ember takes point, leaping about from rock to rock, enjoying the journey. At times, he'll stop, testing a part of the ground before turning and heading in a different direction, with Vesra soon following by saying, "Don't step there, you'll fall into some lava." This goes on for about fifteen or so minutes, as the group slowly treks across the land without incident. It's around this time, that Kayn begins to get distracted. The heat is sooo soothing to him, and coupled with the crunching of ash and rock beneath his feet acting as a meditative tune, he doesn't even see Ember quickly turn and go in a different direction, causing him to step on unstable ground. The group here's a large crack from underneath Kayn as his foot plunges into the ground below [Natural 1 on Survival check, 5 fire damage, reduced to 2 by resistance]. It takes a second for Kayn to even process that any of this is happening [Natural 1 on Dexterity save, 8 fire damage, reduced to 4 by resistance].
A whistling noise emanates from Ember, like the shrill of wet wood being placed into a fire and beginning to pop, as it watches with awe at Kayn's bravery in staying in the lava and quickly rushes over to go and join him in his new private pool.
OOC: The group has made it just over halfway through the lava flow now.
Kayn's leg is immediately engulfed in flames and he jumps up onto more stable ground. There, he begins kicking out his leg and hooting as if in some sort of Lavastep ceremony. After a few seconds of this, a small clump of molten lava flings off his foot. He turns to the group and smiles, reassuring them that he's ok. As he does, you see the trail of fire continue up along his back and onto his shirt.
At the faces of the party he looks behind him and notices the flames. Out of instinct, he drops on the ground and rolls around for another minute before he stands back up, his whole outfit in tatters and still smoldering.
"Uh... Is ok!?" His leg is a dark black from the lava and he's got various pink spots all over his body from the fire, but he's still grinning like an idiot.
It takes a second before Veythe actually registers what just happened because, like the rest of the party she's stuck staring at the little goblin in part horror and part fascination. When it does finally settle just what the hell happened she lets out a few small chuckles which promptly turns into full laughter, clasping at her stomach as she worked hard to breathe in the sulfur-ridden air. She's completely gasping.
"Oh Kayn," Vesra immediately found herself kneeling at the goblin's side, her hand's on his leg. She tapped into the mana of Zendikar, watching all of the various burns heal themselves. "Maybe you should let Ember and I go first, friend."
"You are doing so good, little one," Vesra gave Ember two big thumbs up. "Are you ready to keep on being the amazing leader I know you to be?"
The soothing relief of her touch was amazing! "No, no, no, no. If it were any of you, you might be dead. I can do this!" Kayn smiles as he began to lead the group through the rest of the lava flows. He gestures for Ember to come, "Lets go Embie!"
Ato stares as the goblin seems to take all this in stride, as if it's perfectly normal for him. The thought that maybe it was... He couldn't quite wrap his brain around that. "Can we just get out of here? Please?"
Unphased by the near-death experience, the group treks forward through the last half of the lava flow. White ash begins to fall on their heads and shoulders, soon coating them in the substance. But Ember's careful guidance, and Kayn's quickly learned lesson, prove to be enough to avoid any further mishap. Reaching the end of the lava flow, the group is relieved at the "cool" ground beneath them. Taking a quick moment to rest, they push onward into the afternoon and evening, trekking across a good amount of terrain. The ground rumbles at various times, some rumbles more violent, though none upset the terrain or cause someone to fall.
As the night begins to fall, they find themselves in flat land, interrupted by large crystalline rocks which seem to jut from the ground. Looking above, they see many more of these rocks, their crystal lattices glimmering in the night, floating in the area at various heights above them precariously.
As the suns descend past the last crystalline island, Kayn speaks up, "Is about time to camp. Find any place you like?" He sits atop his Gnarlid again after rubbing the fallen volcanic ask into his skin. His clothing was still tattered, but he figured he could change out of it tonight.
When no one answers up he says, "Ok. This looks good!" He unceremoniously hops off his gnarlid and begins to pull out his sleeping roll and unsaddling the gnarlid. After a few moments he summons Sear again to keep watch during the night and keep the bugs away.
"I am super tired," he says as he gobbles up one of Vesra's delicious berries, "so I hope you all don't mind if I sleep through the night." He tosses another berry to his gnarled before cuddling with it in his bedroll.
Vesra spoke to her familiar in hushed tones off to the side. "Go play for a little while," she said after a few moments, to which Ember happily ran off to play in one of the lava flows. "Thank you for the help!"
"Ember helped me understand the benefits and pitfalls of both routes," she relayed the information. In the background, Ember ran through the lava gleefully, showering fire on top of himself. "Above ground we have room to run, but can't see the flows. Below ground, we run the risk of getting trapped, but we'll be able to see the lava better. Ember was also very adamant that I relay to you all that his vote goes to going above ground, because there will be more fun lava to play in."
PBP: DM of Titans of Tomorrow
PBP: Lera Zahuv in Whispers of Dissent
PBP: Evaine Brae in Innistrad: Dark Ascension
PBP: Cor'avin in Tomb of Annihilation
"I like the way Ember thinks!" Kayn says as he hops off his mount and heads over towards the lava flow. He sits down at a nice, hot spot and starts to cover his skin in ash. It feels sooo good. Playfully, he launches a fire bolt in Ember's direction and watches as he catches it. He does it a few more times as he massages the ash in.
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Ato stares out over the field of lava, displeasure clearly etched on his face. "I'd prefer we take our chances above ground and pick our way across. The thought of being trapped underground..." He tapers off, not even able to finish the sentance.
Veythe flushes at being caught -- for a moment she'd forgotten about the kor twins being there. I'm...fine. Frustrated at my lack of inattentiveness. She huffs, and quietly listens to everyone as they debate the next course of action. Veythe shivered at the sight of lava flows and not because she was actually cold. In fact she was quite warm and it was frustrating.
"I vote above," Veythe said aloud. "I'd rather not be stuck in a large overheated tube that could flood."
Current:
Secrets of the Greenwold - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
Historic:
Dawning - A Homebrew Campaign - DMTomb of Annihilation - DM
Dragon Heist of Waterdeep - DM
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
"Flood with lava," adds Ato - not so helpfully. "Are we sure we can;t find a way around? Can your bat fly around and see how big this area really is, Kayn?"
As everyone stood around debating the next move, Vasha moved away from the group, and pulled out an old looking book with wrinkled pages, in which she started writing and sketching in. She would sometimes glance up at the group, then turn her attention back to the pages.
A dwarf with a canoe on his back? What could go wrong?
Kayn turns, rotating like a pinwheel on his butt, "Sear is tired from watching the group last night. Unless we use tunnels, I rather he rest." He then pinwheel's back at Ember, launching a fire bolt as he does. He thought he could catch the lil elemental off-guard, but he easily leaps from the lava and snags it.
"There is another thing..." He points to the volcano further away, "There is written in one of my texts that a volcano such as this one was used to defeat the ancients. There may be a bit of treasure in that area if we decide it is worth looking." He hurls another fire bolt Ember's way.
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"It was worth asking, at least. It does seem like it stretches far enough we have no choice anyway. I still think we should stay above ground though. Ember thinks that's a good idea, at least." He looks out over the field of lava flows, steam, and death and sighs. "We can't just sit here, no matter what. Let's just get across and put it behind us." He adjusts the pack on his shoulders and waits for a decision - above or below.
Ember's laugh sounded like the crackling of flames, and the party could hear him having the time of his little life. He playfully caught all of Kayn's firebolts, and decided it would be a good idea to return the favor. He launched a flame of his own right at the goblin, and was pleased to watch it connect solidly in the middle of his back. Silly goblin, he should know not to turn his back on an enemy.
"Ember!" Vesra scolded. "There are rules... Remember what happened with Vasha?... I realize that he was throwing them at you... Yes, but that is still not... I understand where you're coming from... Well, now you know for next time... No, you can keep playing, just no more burning people." The druid sighed and turned back to the rest of the group. "I'm sorry, I'm still learning."
The Kor woman cast druidcraft, this time to predict the weather. She doubted it would foresee any minor lava incidents, but she at least wanted to be warned if there would be a major eruption. A small, cloudy orb appeared before them, ash swirling in to the mix. "More clouds and ash," she nodded as the orb dissipated. "If we go above ground, perhaps Ember and I should lead the way. Maybe he'll be able to help a little bit? It's better than nothing."
PBP: DM of Titans of Tomorrow
PBP: Lera Zahuv in Whispers of Dissent
PBP: Evaine Brae in Innistrad: Dark Ascension
PBP: Cor'avin in Tomb of Annihilation
"Do we even have enough to last us that detour, Kayn" Veythe worried her lip between her teeth with narrowed eyes. She wasn't too certain how comfortable she felt getting closer to an ancient killer. While the thought of useful treasure was certainly tempting, Veythe felt more concerned about their limited supply. She glanced over to Vesra after a second, then raised a hand tiredly.
"I vote for the little flame to lead the way."
Current:
Secrets of the Greenwold - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
Historic:
Dawning - A Homebrew Campaign - DMTomb of Annihilation - DM
Dragon Heist of Waterdeep - DM
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
Kayn didn't even seem to notice the fire bolt at his back. He felt a little bit of an impact, but when he turned back around to Ember, the poor elemental was being scolded! "Is ok Vessie! Goblins are good at ignoring fire. I didn't even feel it!"
"I think maybe Ember and I should be ahead. If I get burned, it doesn't hurt too much. Also, Ember has very little weight, so at least if I stand where he leads we can see if I fall in!" He stands, now that Vesra ruined the game, and heads over to the Gnarlid. There, he pulls out a rope and ties it around himself securely. He ties the other end around the Gnarlid's saddle.
Finally he says, "When I go ahead, at least if I fall I can be pulled back out. Ok? Are we ready? Single file!"
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Deciding traversing above ground was safer than travelling through the lava tubes, the group stomachs through the awful sulfur smell and begins cautiously making their way across the lava flow. Bursts of steam jettison from the ground around the group, causing some to jolt or jump in surprise, though never close enough to risk injury. The ground itself is hot, though the shoes worn offer protection from the heat emanating just below the surface.
Ember takes point, leaping about from rock to rock, enjoying the journey. At times, he'll stop, testing a part of the ground before turning and heading in a different direction, with Vesra soon following by saying, "Don't step there, you'll fall into some lava." This goes on for about fifteen or so minutes, as the group slowly treks across the land without incident. It's around this time, that Kayn begins to get distracted. The heat is sooo soothing to him, and coupled with the crunching of ash and rock beneath his feet acting as a meditative tune, he doesn't even see Ember quickly turn and go in a different direction, causing him to step on unstable ground. The group here's a large crack from underneath Kayn as his foot plunges into the ground below [Natural 1 on Survival check, 5 fire damage, reduced to 2 by resistance]. It takes a second for Kayn to even process that any of this is happening [Natural 1 on Dexterity save, 8 fire damage, reduced to 4 by resistance].
A whistling noise emanates from Ember, like the shrill of wet wood being placed into a fire and beginning to pop, as it watches with awe at Kayn's bravery in staying in the lava and quickly rushes over to go and join him in his new private pool.
OOC: The group has made it just over halfway through the lava flow now.
Kayn's leg is immediately engulfed in flames and he jumps up onto more stable ground. There, he begins kicking out his leg and hooting as if in some sort of Lavastep ceremony. After a few seconds of this, a small clump of molten lava flings off his foot. He turns to the group and smiles, reassuring them that he's ok. As he does, you see the trail of fire continue up along his back and onto his shirt.
At the faces of the party he looks behind him and notices the flames. Out of instinct, he drops on the ground and rolls around for another minute before he stands back up, his whole outfit in tatters and still smoldering.
"Uh... Is ok!?" His leg is a dark black from the lava and he's got various pink spots all over his body from the fire, but he's still grinning like an idiot.
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It takes a second before Veythe actually registers what just happened because, like the rest of the party she's stuck staring at the little goblin in part horror and part fascination. When it does finally settle just what the hell happened she lets out a few small chuckles which promptly turns into full laughter, clasping at her stomach as she worked hard to breathe in the sulfur-ridden air. She's completely gasping.
Current:
Secrets of the Greenwold - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
Historic:
Dawning - A Homebrew Campaign - DMTomb of Annihilation - DM
Dragon Heist of Waterdeep - DM
Hoard of the Dragon Queen - DM | Recruiting Thread | Campaign Thread
Ellangil dampens a cloth and hold it to his face to lessen the odor and limit the amount of fumes he's breathing in.
"Not exactly where I'd build my summer home," he says, "but it's not too bad..."
"Oh Kayn," Vesra immediately found herself kneeling at the goblin's side, her hand's on his leg. She tapped into the mana of Zendikar, watching all of the various burns heal themselves. "Maybe you should let Ember and I go first, friend."
"You are doing so good, little one," Vesra gave Ember two big thumbs up. "Are you ready to keep on being the amazing leader I know you to be?"
PBP: DM of Titans of Tomorrow
PBP: Lera Zahuv in Whispers of Dissent
PBP: Evaine Brae in Innistrad: Dark Ascension
PBP: Cor'avin in Tomb of Annihilation
The soothing relief of her touch was amazing! "No, no, no, no. If it were any of you, you might be dead. I can do this!" Kayn smiles as he began to lead the group through the rest of the lava flows. He gestures for Ember to come, "Lets go Embie!"
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Ato stares as the goblin seems to take all this in stride, as if it's perfectly normal for him. The thought that maybe it was... He couldn't quite wrap his brain around that. "Can we just get out of here? Please?"
Unphased by the near-death experience, the group treks forward through the last half of the lava flow. White ash begins to fall on their heads and shoulders, soon coating them in the substance. But Ember's careful guidance, and Kayn's quickly learned lesson, prove to be enough to avoid any further mishap. Reaching the end of the lava flow, the group is relieved at the "cool" ground beneath them. Taking a quick moment to rest, they push onward into the afternoon and evening, trekking across a good amount of terrain. The ground rumbles at various times, some rumbles more violent, though none upset the terrain or cause someone to fall.
As the night begins to fall, they find themselves in flat land, interrupted by large crystalline rocks which seem to jut from the ground. Looking above, they see many more of these rocks, their crystal lattices glimmering in the night, floating in the area at various heights above them precariously.
As the suns descend past the last crystalline island, Kayn speaks up, "Is about time to camp. Find any place you like?" He sits atop his Gnarlid again after rubbing the fallen volcanic ask into his skin. His clothing was still tattered, but he figured he could change out of it tonight.
When no one answers up he says, "Ok. This looks good!" He unceremoniously hops off his gnarlid and begins to pull out his sleeping roll and unsaddling the gnarlid. After a few moments he summons Sear again to keep watch during the night and keep the bugs away.
"I am super tired," he says as he gobbles up one of Vesra's delicious berries, "so I hope you all don't mind if I sleep through the night." He tosses another berry to his gnarled before cuddling with it in his bedroll.
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Please feel free to message either Sorce or another moderator if you have any concerns.