Pizazz's Myth Drannor

A moment later, despite Nuzej's explanation, Russel steps through the hazy film between the worlds and joins the rest of the group on the prime. Everyone chats about the strange frog creatures within, but the decision to press on to the next tower is made. The cats and Mirica in agreement to avoid trouble. Toc agrees as well and so off the group goes, looking for the next potential tower location. 

You pass next by an immense dome that looms over this part of the city, its crystal roof marred by a web of cracks. Through the gaps in the building’s shell, and on the other side of the open entranceway, you see a strange landscape of miniaturized natural features. Not matching a tower though, you press on moving past another building that has a roof that is wrecked and open to the elements (Y17).  It doesn't seem like a tower though, so the group presses on. 

As you cut along the upper, ice encrusted part of the city, you note a location that's a bit closer actually that may have been one of the towers, but has collapsed almost fully (Y18).  You also see a large obelisk that could be a tower (Y21), as well as another building that is most definitely a tower (Y20).   (Y19 is the central spire)

Where do you head? 

The obelisk - or whatever it was - stood on the open and could be observed from a distance. If there are no suspicious figures standing around and preventing the group from looking at the surface of the construction, Mirica would walk there. Thyrius was right and so far all the clues but one were strictly in the towers, but the thing was standing right there and netheresian wizards could have some sense of humour and leave one cue on the open.

Perception: 30

Simaal is obviously disappointed at the decision to move on, but says nothing more. "You should scout sir Leonine, having the scout being in direct communication constantly is far superior to not."

Thyrius nods silently at Simaal, looks at Russle as to invite him to come along, points to his horn while looking at Xemnez, and departs to scout ahead. He is aiming for the obelisk for which Mirica showed preference.

-> Stealth check: 31

-> perception check: 13 

Xemnez nods, trusting his brother to manage well enough on his own. But for however long his fellow Leonin had remained in sight, the golden furred youngest would watch over closely from afar. If able to discern Thyrius intentions however, a small frown touches the corner of his lips, but Xemnez remained quiet and patient for answers, unable to voice a complaint even if he had the mind for such following his own poorly executed scouting efforts from earlier. 

Reunited upon the physical realm, Mirica points to her intention. The rest of the group agree, though some of them begrudgingly. Toc's mismatched eyes scan the city with icy coolness as the group interacts, watching without comment. Eventually Thyrius heads off to scout, inviting Russel along with him. Russel shrugs, but seems to decline the invitation and slinking along in the shadow of the main group instead. Likewise Simaal seems to wander about, moving from ruins, to rubble, to buildings a short distance from the group...skulking in the shadows. Mirica, Toc, Nuzej, and Xemnez meanwhile move quietly but in the open across the upper part of the city towards the standing obelisk that reaches into the air a good 60 feet. The obelisk is made of black stone, and its surface is covered in arcane runes. As Thyrius nears the obelisk, he can see that a thin crack has formed on one side, stretching from the obelisk’s base to its middle. There are no creatures anywhere around here and it's very quiet. Thyrius examines the strange edifice, but it's arcane knowledge seems like it could take years to understand, if he even know the arcane arts.  

Eventually the rest of the group approaches it as well.  Toc walks up to the smooth obelisk and examines the ruins closely, but doesn't touch it. "This thing...is...beyond my understanding...but if I'm interpreting these rune schemes correctly....this obelisk seems related to time."

Thyrius and Simaal are keeping alert as the rest of the group is examining the obelisk and both notice a flaming skull in the nearby city district. It's moving out towards the edge of the city by floating along. It seems escorted by three other creatures, that move in gangly awkward motions. However the entourage is too distant to make out much details as they move between the buildings, disappearing from view. 

(Investigation and Arcana rolls for anyone wanting to examine the obelisk.) 

Runes were so far out of Mirica's expertise, as a discipline can be. Still, she spent enough time studying Netheresian culture to maybe recognize some shapes? Arcana/Investigation: 8

They did look familiar (some of them) but most importantly, they did not look like a clue. "We already saw one what a "search-related" devices here can do." She glanced at Toc. "If this one is time-related, I'm afraid to even think about the consequences of using it in any way. Especially since it looks damaged."

If indeed, the runes did not resemble a clue the group was searching for, Mirica would suggest going to the tower (Y20).

(Damned script! The roll was 17! This was the last time I edited any post here.)

Investi 13, Arcana 15. Simaal observes as he approaches (passive is 26 Investigation), then specifically starts looking at it. "We don't know that it contains nothing. We continue skipping over things that may contain clues it just means we'll have to travel back and forth looking for missed clues. Besides, we're being followed, so going back to places we've been before makes it that much easier to set up ambushes. At least, those are my thoughts." he says mentally, while outloud he just says "interesting structure." 

Mentally to the others, and sounding a bit agitated as well, Xemnez replies, 'We've only skipped over one thing as far as I've noticed. And as far as this thing goes, if it involves time as mentioned, and those hags words are to be... considered with a grain of salt, messing with this is folly; especially in its damaged state. In fact, it was suggested we destroy it, least we find ourselves paying for the hubris of past mortals of this world by trying to 'understand' this particular thing.' 

As he's saying all that, the Leonin is glaring at the obelisk with a hand resting on his axe as if considering whether to wreck it or not. "You have poor tastes in these things." He says aloud, but mentally adds soon after, 'And what's this about us being followed? For how long and since when and by what?' He asked.

Toc steps forward, putting a hand up, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, wouldn't we all agree?" 

Mentally he adds, "Simaal, we are searching the ruins. We can not go all places at once. This thing here....we will investigate it, but it has no openings or anything else for us to do with it, except spend monthly trying to decipher the mystical runes. And we have other matters to attend to. If some strange denizen wishes to setup an ambush at this obelisk and wait for us to return, they are welcome to do so. Though trying to understand why anyone would is beyond me. Now...as for being followed. What are you talking about?"

Thyrius does not attempt to study the runes himself. Instead, he speaks mentally to the group: "If this obelisk messes with time, it is possible it is responsible for the stasis effect on some of the living creatures we have seen in this disk so far, in particular the ones Nuzej described. They might even be the 'fools' the hags were referring to, the ones that Xemnez says were trying to understand it and paid the price for it. If we assume this guess is right, then we best turn away from this obelisk. I fear even destroying it might be part of these hags' ulterior motives, which I am sure they must have. Perhaps they'd somehow benefit from those frog people coming out of their stasis."

Thyrius says no words out loud, he just grunts. He continues mentally: "As for being followed, Simaal might be referring to the fiery skull floating about the ruins. It seems to have an entourage with it too, so they could be dangerous. I have just spotted them myself a moment ago. That said, perhaps Simaal saw something else as well?"

He ends with a mental sigh: "These ruins are more populated that I would have guessed."

Mirica smiled to Thyrius. It was so incredibly refreshing to have a voice of reason in the group! "Indeed, let us move on". She could not help it, though, but to glance around once the skull was mentioned. We all have some little weaknesses. For Mirica that was undead (and other forms of un-life that tried to pass for the work of nature) and knowing that one such "object" was roaming the streets nearby, she did have an impulse to find and destroy. But... That was not the mission. "You don't say," commented she the last note from Thyrius, "but if locals want us gone, all they need to do is to point us to the clues and we will be out of their hair."

While you saw Simaal take a spyglass now and then and looked around he just mentions "I've seen them a few times, but could not identify anything more other than appearing to be residents rather than outside travelers that have come here." He otherwise gives a small bow, as he did earlier to the irate memory sucked leonine, to everyone's comments and says nothing more, following the group.

Following Mirica's suggestion, the group next moves along towards the nearest tower. (Y20).  As you near it, you see the top of this tower is shaped like an axe blade. Red light shines out from a slender window high overhead.  Unlike other towers you've seen, the inside of this tower is made up of numerous empty chambers, all scarred by repeated blasts of elemental magics. A stairway leads dutifully upwards towards a central chamber near the top. With Thyrius scouting, the group eventually looks about the upper chamber and  sees red orbs of light dance like fireflies around this thirty-foot-diameter octagonal chamber. A large unlit brazier stands in the center of the room, and eight ten-foot-square alcoves line the walls, each filled with ice. The arched ceiling is covered with ice that has large icicles grasping downwards.

Simaal concentrates on the one of the orbs that was closest in its dancing to the brazier and tries to push it in. (invisible mage hand) thinking it will melt ice and reveal its secrets.  Buuut in case things go sideways like a drunk sailor in a thunderstorm on the edge of the world, he'll slink back into the shadows a bit. 28...

After taking in the next puzzle to impede the path Xemnez blows out a somewhat frustrated sounding breath through his nose and shakes his head. "I should not be so disturbed, and yet...." He trails off grumbling and shaking his head. Looking then up towards the ceiling, Xemnez absently places a hand on the hilt of his axe and start to speak, only to then look back down to the braiser and frown. "I do not suppose any of you have fire magics at your disposal?" He asks or would try to do as much, assuming Simmal's experiment did not go horribly, horribly wrong.

Another tower, another magical setup to investigate. Although he could asks his ancestors to lend him their knowledge momentarily, this was still not one of the black cat's area of expertise. He grasped the new bouncy ball Simaal had traded him and wondered if he could try to hit more then a couple of the floating orbs in a single throw, but refrained from trying it for now.

In response to his brother, Thyrius pulls out a tinderbox and says: "If all else fails..."

"If I can get close enough I can try the fire magic first", nodded Mirica. "Have to bee within 15ft. But maybe our mages can offer something more practical and ... probably start from the corner, so we are not get killed by the filing ice."

(The best she can offer in this case is Burning Hands)

Simaal's mental nudges come to naught, as the sphere seem to have no physical form and attempts to nudge them about fail. 

With the requests made, Toc snaps his fingers and a flame alights in the brazier, which then bursts in crackling flames. The room begins to heat up immediately and the ice on the ceiling turns slick and begins to melt. With the light from the fire, you can also see an inscription beneath the ice, but it's too obscured to read. You'll have to wait for the ice to melt. It begins to, and about 10 minutes later the ice has melted enough for Toc to read the draconic words.  “Fifth, quench the flame in thy palm with ice.”

The ice in the alcoves seems to be shinier, but otherwise does not melt.  (If you leave and pick a new location without further experimentation, please let me know which location you head to on the map. Please don't say, "The next tower", say something more like "the building below Y20 that is square".)

Mentally: "I am sure this location, like all others, has many more magical mysteries worth investigating, but I believe we have agreed on keeping our mission in mind and having a clear priority. Assuming that has not changed, I say our business in this tower is completed."

Just to be sure, Thyrius looks around, speciallly at the more learned members of the party, to make sure someone is taking notes of all the hints they have collects so far.

As for their next destination, Thyrius votes for the tower below and to the right of Y20, the one enveloped in a swirl of mist.