Whip Wiles

There's a mage in the adventurer's guild, looking mighty irate and somewhat singed. He looks at you uncertainly, but it's clear he has no choice in this. "So, I was identifying a magical item that I recently acquired, and summoned a fire elemental in order to help me find out what it does." He explains and moves his hands expansively as he talks so that he almost looks like he's spellcasting. It's an interesting behavior for a mage. "The blasted elemental ran off with it! So here's the deal. I'll cast a few spells that'll make it so that you can travel there after the elemental safely, but you'll have to retrieve it." He taps his foot impatiently.

Asmli's been hanging out in the guild for the last several hours, arm-wrestling or playing cards with whoever is game, but when the mage showed up, had paused to listen. He stands up when the explanation is done, picking up his urgrosh, "I ain't talk the magic stuff, but I'll do it. How do we know which one's got it?"

Strike hmmm's softly and considers the mage for a few moments before giving an affirming nod, "What does the prize look like?" is her own inquiry.

Standing in the back and not really paying attention to the wizard is Delilah; the Sorceress is far too busy living up to the image that Wizards so often hold of Sorcerers, and is being utterly lazy and inattentive, busy gazing off at something else in the distance where she stands with her sister. But, that last bit gets her attention. "Hunh wait, what? Hold up? Hold that thought? You summoned an elemental, it clearly burned you partway to a crisp, and you're sending us... where, exactly? Elemental Plane of Fire? I do believe we charge extra for that."

Nels blinks at the mage, and looks at his gun. Her gun, just at the moment. "Do bullets even hurt elementals?" she asks hesitantly. Well, she's clearly a gunslinger, so she needs to know if she can do anything.

"Oh, there's absolutely no way this could possibly end badly," Lysos comments upon hearing the task. She looks around at the others, some she knows... some she definitely doesn't. Looking for any other reactions of skepticism among them. "I mean... gee... who hasn't thought 'Hey, I need to figure this out, clearly calling a creature made of fire is the safest way I could do this.'"

• /Wizards./*

While the dark-haired one of the two twins at the Guildhall doesn't *actually* roll her eyes, everything about her bearing, stance, and the tone of her voice puts across the idea that she had, in fact, rolled her eyes upon hearing that a fire elemental has absconded with an artifact of unknown provenance.

"...So chase down living, probably pissed-off fire to what I imagine is its home, tackle it, an' roll it for somethin' shiny. Yeah. Okay. I mean I *wanna* be surprised, but I ain't."

It is clear that Elleandra finds the tale, or at least the mage's tale, amusing. She covers her grin as best she can, but with a nod indicates she will help. "Certainly I have time to spare to lend my aid. And I've no stories to tell about fire elementals yet." She runs a hand through her hair, listening with interest to the questions the other adventurers ask. She makes a note in the future to have some of her own.

The mage pinkens slightly at some of your looks and comments, but he remains steadfast. "It's a whip." The mage's lips thin a little and frowns at you all. "You'll know him because he's probably the only blue fire elemental you're likely to see. Kind of hard to miss on the elemental plane of fire. "And he has my whip of course. It's a snake-skin whip. An off-white color. It has a flame that expels from its surface when its used. So there's that. think you can find it? Good."

He pulls a scroll out of his pack and activates it with a few words, causing a portal to form in front of him. "I'll cast my spells on you as you go through the portal so line up and off you go." He makes an impatient motion with his hand.

"Ain't sure what a wizard would want with a whip ... specially not by himself ... but sounds like fun." Asmli, ever game, grabs cloak and pack and fastens the first swiftly around his neck. "Someone else will have to do the magic stuff."

Nels shrugs, and guesses the mage figures she can help. She's skeptical, herself, but she's never been comfortable with elementals. Too many bottled up driving airships, maybe? She'll line up and get on with things, then, peering at the others.

"Wait! Wait, wait. Wait." Lysos holds up a hand. "How do we get back? Are your.. magics going to last long enough to find.. uh... him?" She screws her face up a bit. "Can these things /be/ hims?"

The dark twin leans faintly away from the portal as it forms... But when nothing on *this* side is set aflame, she relaxes faintly. "C'mon, D," she says, tugging her blonde counterpart to her feet. "Guess we get to see what it looks like when there ain't nothin' left to set on fire."

She pauses upon Lysos' questions, and one corner of her mouth twitches upward. "Well he wants his whip back," she notes, amused. "So like as not there'll be a way back.

"As likely as they can be hers." the half-mul replies, stepping into line. Strike considers her companions for a few moments, then, "In the event it becomes important, does anyone know how to speak to elementals?" To the darker of the twins, she replies, "Some people go the extra mile for exotic entertainment."

Delilah nods sagely at her sister's words. "So, technically the elemental stole your bedroom toy, but I mean... who could blame him? Also, if he's a blue fire elemental I'm pretty sure that's got to put him on a protected list or something." She lets Donna pull her up to her feet. "Hell, this'll be worth it just to see the elemental plane of fire, and..." She trails off. "Wait a minute, the spell I literally *just learned* is exclusively for setting things on fire, and we're going someplace whever everything already *is* on fire."

The blonde sorceress shrugs her shoulders lightly. "My sister and I better not come back crispy. I'm ready."

Elleandra is ready in moments, and stands ready. "I cannot help but think this most ill-advised. But I am certain it will be interesting." She moves up with the others, rather eager to be near the front, if not the first through the portal. "If this magic doesn't work, my screams should provide warning," she says aloud to, well, anyone who might benefit from this.

Nels is carrying several dozen rounds of firearm ammunition, and belatedly thinks to ask, "Will this protection keep gunpowder from exploding? That's kind of important to me..."

The mage rolls his eyes and shoves something - a small bell - into Elleandra's hands. "Ring the bell when you're ready to return. I'll hear it and make a portal back for you. I'll be scrying you the whole time." He sounds irritated that you had to ask something that seemed so obvious to him. With that he begins his chanting, making you all capable of surviving the harsh environment of the elemental plane of fire. It's still unreasonably warm on the other side. As if even the spell isn't enough to quell the oppressive heat. There's magma all around you, and ash covers the earth that is blackened by so many fires that its forgotten what its like to be earth.

"You'll be /fine/." Says the mage as the portal closes, but he doesn't sound or look that certain about the fact. As is evidenced by the fact that he's not coming with you. There's no sign of anything on the other side that looks alive. Just the pools and rivers of magma surrounding you, and the flames dancing like the remnants of a forest fire on the ground.

Blasted mage didn't even bother to give you directions.

Nels looks around, sighs. She checks her powder and her gun, and so far, so good. "So," she says. "Anyone know how to find people on planes we've never been to before? Anyone has been here before, say now..." She looks around.

"....*Wizards,*" Donna sighs as the portal closes behind her. And only then does she turn to look at the ash-choked, lava-riddled hellscape upon which they now have placed their boots. For a time, she surveys their environs, as though finding the Plane of Fire a subject of deep, personal discovery, and a myriad number of philosophical questions to be gleaned from the scorched wastes.

"I mean, I could be *more* on fire..."

Or perhaps philosophy is not her strong suit.

Standing in this burning wasteland, Elleandra looks the bell. "I hope the befuddled clown has at least ensured this bell won't melt," she mutters. She has no great protection for it, so a small bag at her side will have to do. Turning to see her companions she smiles, "So, the good news is, we are looking for something blue in a land of red.. and well, I suppose black and gray." She looks about at the ground, "Anyone have any ideas on which direction might be a good way to start looking? Or maybe someone can talk to elementals?"

Hmm. Warm. Strike glances at her feet for some reason, a tiny wry smirk crinkling up the corners of her mouth, then she's back to business, "Clearly operating in a hurry is not his gift."

"That's why I don't mess with that stuff," Asmli pipes up, looking around him wide-eyed at the scorched landscape. "This is the Plane of Fire? Hot like a summer in the mines in here." Already sweating, the blonde, brash khazad uses his free hand to wipe sweat off of his brow. "Well, we can't go where the lava is, so let's start by going where the lava isn't," he suggests helpfully.

"This place could maybe be more on fire," Delilah acknowledges. "But... yes. This is what we get for taking a contract put out by a *wizard*," she states with the last word simply smoldering with disdain, "And an irresponsible one at that." She checks her firearm, making sure there's a round chambered before putting it back.

"So..." she muses, addressing the party, "Can we all agree that the elemental we're chasing really didn't do anything particularly wrong, given that the *wizard* probably didn't summon it with permission, and that we should make violence our last resort? Self-defense only?"

The blonde sorceress pauses, and glances in Elleandra's direction. "Well, I do speak Ignan, that might help."

Lysos takes a kerchief from her pack and dabs at her forehead with it. "Well. Let's just make sure we all stay together... and forgive me, Sir Dwarf, but if you're mines are like this I don't think I want to visit them." She looks at Nels then, shaking her head at the girl. "I'm just a bumpkin girl from a wagon travelling family... this is all new to me."

GAME: Elleandra rolls survival: (11)+3: 14

Elleandra perks up as she looks along the ground. Or what passes for ground in this chaotic place. "There's a trail here!" she says excitedly. "Granted, I've no idea if our quarry went this way, but considering the circumstances, might I suggest we give this way a try?" She gestures in the direction she intends, which to a casual onlooker likely doesn't stand out as terribly interesting.

Strike nods, "It will likely force the issue, but for the sake of argument, we are agreed." she affirms to the blonde. She considers her companions again as they start trying to track the fiery native and muses, "I will try to stun it if violence is needed, but I'm uncertain if that will work."

Nels peers at Lysos and says wearily, "I've got you beat: I'm a male goblin. Just momentarily cursed." She'll follow the group though. Getting split up sounds like the very worst plan. As far as negotiating, she says, "That's on you. Let me know if you want it shot or not."

"An' hey look, it's where the lava ain't," Donna says, glancing at Asmli and raising an eyebrow. "So yeah... Now we got a direction, let's get."

As Lysos and Nels speak up about their inexperience, the dark twin looks carefully at them for a moment, then nods, turning to her sister. "Keep next to me, D," she murmurs. "Might be I got more t'cover than you this time 'round."

"Course not." Asmli seems perfectly amiable about the idea. "You'd hit your head, anyway. They're not built for tall folk." When Nels admits to being a goblin, he -peeeeeers- at the woman. "So, you're a male gobber cursed as a woman?" He tries to keep it down. He really does. But the snickers bubble up from deep within, before he can stop it, and he just turns away to avoid getting punched in the nose and possibly holding everyone up. "We've got a direction?" he asks Elleandra instead, between attempts at tamping down his laughter. "So let's go already!" . "I could tell you... what?" Lysos blinks at Nels, jerked out of a rejoinder by her statement. She actually stops in her tracks, staring after Nels, her mouth hanging open slightly. Looking for all the world like her brain might have just broke.

The path leads you in a wide circle and to a wall of fire. The path leads directly to this wall of flames which admittedly... a portion of the wall which stands there is blue. Bright, vibrant, impossible to miss blue. There's no sign of a whip, or the elemental that you're looking for, just this wall of flames which hisses and pops as you approach.

Delilah snorts audibly. "Now there's a male outlook," she observes. "'Cursed as a woman' he says. Couldn't be temporarily blessed as a woman, nooOOooo." She falls into step while she's griping, keeping close to Donna as her twin suggests. "Look, when we find him... her... it, I'm not sure, just let me do the talking, okay? I at least might be able to actually *talk*, afterall."

The sorceress glances at the self-admitted inexperienced members of the party, and nods to Donna. "Cover them first if you need to, I'll be okay. And if I'm not, I'll scream real loud."

Elleandra nods to Asmli, "Then let us go, my friend, and see what fate has in store for us." While she's hardly the right person for the job, without a bit of armor on her, she goes ahead nonetheless, her steps light and untroubled despite the heat of this strange place. Confronted at last with the wall, and the impossible-to-miss blue section, she stops. "Well, perhaps now it is time for diplomacy... if you could?" She looks at Delilah expectantly.

Nels hangs her head as Asmli laughs at her. "Laugh it up, snicker-boy," she says, but her heart's not really in it. She looks to Lysos and huhs? "Yeah, I know, I'm cursed into this awful form, all mutated and broken and they say that some artificer's at fault, but can't or won't fix it, so I'm waiting on her." She grumbles, paying less attention to her environment than she really should.

"There are messier transitions." Strike comments bitterly, then looks to Nels, "I know the one you speak of, but at least your condition is temporary." As the blonde seems to be potentially the most equipped for this little party, Strike opts to defer to her judgement and shunts the disquieting conversation to the back of her mind with the rest of the splinters nagging at her.

Donna nods to her sister, and when the party reaches the wall, she gestures towards the chunk of blue. "There y'go, D," she says, stepping back to keep Lysos, Nels, and Elleandra not far from her reach.

Lysos has to hike her skirts up to catch up with everyone once her brain kicks back into gear again... at least Nels's explanation seems to make it easier to accept. And then there's the firewall. She bites her lower lip as she looks at it. Looks up at the top. Looks left and right to either side. Then at the blue patch. If she takes offense to Donna being protective of herself and the other 'newish' folks, she doesn't show it.

Delilah looks at the wall of fire, and steps up to the hissing and spitting wall. She ahems softly, clearing her throat, and taking a moment to loosen her corset -- hey, it's hot in here. "Pardon us," she begins. "We are adventurers from the Mortal Plane. We know you to have been summoned there unwillingly by an idiot wizard, and we come in peace as agents to negotiate the return of his whip. We come in good faith, and in peace. We only wish to talk." <ignan>

The wall shifts and moves and suddenly the blue section rises up a little bit taking the form of vortex of fire. The flame bends down toward the group of you, hissing and spitting and crackling in what seems like a very threatening way. "Oh? You mean the wizard that summoned me?" The flame crackles and shifts backwards once again, seeming quite perilously large. "I don't want to give the whip back. You can go and tell him that. I like it." <ignan>

"That doesn't sound good," Lysos whispers, putting her hand in front of her mouth to deflect the whisper to the side. Her other hand grips her quarterstaff tightly.. before she realizes the absurdity of attacking fire with wood. The next sound that comes might charitably be called a strangled giggle.

The blonded sorceress spreads her hands in front her. "I understand," she replies. "But, he's a wizard. They're known for not taking the hint. If he doesn't get his way with us, he'll just find some other people to come along, who might not think things through and try talking." The sorceress shrugs her shoulders lightly, and lets her hands drop back to her sides. "We just want to talk about it. Can we talk? Maybe we can find a way to make it worth your while." <ignan>

Strike looks at the blue spot of the wall as it pokes out to respond to... whatever the sorceress just rattled off at it. She reaches a hand to the giggly staff bearer and lightly touches her arm with a soft, "Shhhhhhhh...." but, not in a chiding tone, but a more considered one.

Nels just watches the exchange with a blank expression. She has no idea what's going on, but what she really hopes is that she doesn't do anything to goof it up. She keeps her weapon pointed at the ground and tries to look ... casual.

"She ain't a pile of ashes on the spot," Donna mutters back in reply to Lysos. "Goin about as good as it can, 'round here."

Elleandra takes a step back, moving behind Asmli and Donna, who both look like the sturdy type of folks who can protect someone as unarmored as she is. "So.. what kind of offering might a fire elemental like? Also.." She frowns suddenly. "Wait.. a whip. And he wanted to test it on an elemental. Did he whip the elemental?"

Asmli watches, folding beefy arms over barrel-like chest. It sounds like there is a discussion in progress, so while he taps a foot impatiently, wait he will.

The fire elemental settles down a little bit, folding in half and... sitting?... it's hard to tell with something that isn't remotely human-shaped to tell what its doing. But it lowers itself a little bit, folding in so that its more Delilah-sized. "That's true, and I'm trying to take a nap here. I'd really rather sleep than talk." The elemental makes a motion. "You should tell your companions to keep it down, there's a magmaman nearby that is trying to sleep too and they don't take kindly to being woken up."

Briefly the elemental shifts and part of the flames join with the center of the flame mass to pull out a off-white whip. "I really like it. Can't explain why, but I don't want to let it go." <ignan>

Donna is Completely Fine With All Of This, Really. No, really. She has not been tensing up her shoulders as her twin sister makes mouth-noises at an inferno that is twice her size, and itself but a part of a larger inferno. The sweat running down her temple is completely attributable to the heat of their infernal surroundings. The fact that she curls and uncurls her fingers is because her knuckles need popping.

She is not at all terrified for the safety of the only other person on the planet she calls family.

And thus, when she lets out a quiet, shaky breath as the fire collapses inwards, it's probable she has a couple dozen excuses as to the why.

Lysos ties her kerchief about her head, then tucks her staff in the crook of her arm as she loosens the strap holding her crossbow in place. No, she's not silly enough to draw it and provoke... but she clearly wants it ready. "Sorry," she also utters to both Strike and Donna, her giggles quickly under control, though her breathing is still a little quickened.

Nels is very definitely not doing anything with her gun. She can load it quick as thinking in any event, but for now, she'd as soon not draw any attention at all. Why'd it have to be -here-? I mean, she's got enough ammunition to start a war, plus loose powder and shot if she wants to make more. It's in an oilcloth bag for the moment, but ... just -how- fire retardant is the bag? She's not keen on finding out.

Strike watches the discussion take place as people settle, or vent, their nerves each to their own manner. The whole affair is business, only the failure of the mission or danger to her cohorts gives her any emotional investment, and so she stands by to see what transpires and try and be ready to respond should such become necessary.

Asmli clearly has no idea what is going on, but seems inclined to kick back and relax. When the fire dwindles and produces the whip, he straightens and applauds. "Well done!" he calls to Delilah.

Elleandra looks to Asmli, her eyes uncertain. "I wonder what she has learned," she says quietly. "With luck, maybe I shall be able to ring this bell soon." With more luck, it will actually do something. This somehow reminds her of many dangerous stories. The kind she enjoys sharing over a good meal with plenty of excellent drink.

Delilah rubs her chin lightly. "We'll let you sleep in a minute, I promise," the sorceress replies, lowering her voice a notch. "Really, we understand. But, is there anything you might want more than the whip? Especially if it's something we could put on a certain wizard's tab, that'd be fine by us." <ignan>

Delilah turns to the rest of the group, and offers a lopsided smile. "He likes the whip and doesn't want to give it up," she murmurs. "He also said we should keep it down, because he's trying to sleep, but also because there's a magmaman nearby doing the same and they do *NOT* like to be woken up when they're sleeping, and I'm pretty sure we don't want to do the waking up."

"Well, that's a pretty pickle," says Elly. Her voice is lowered, at least. "Is there anything he might take in exchange for the whip?" she asks curiously. She's not familiar with elementals, but she has a sense that fighting a magmaman is unwise.

Nels doesn't -really- want to fight anyone here, it seems like a very bad idea. On the other hand, she says, "Well, he can't just take other people's whips. Where would we be if you could just take anyone else's whips?"

It's impossible to tell what's going on with the elemental, but it shifts an waves a column of fire toward Asmli. "Oh! Don't do that!" It hisses and crackles louder than ever, then grows larger suddenly as the ground begins to rumble. The elemental shoves the whip back into its core and the ground cracks open underfoot, spilling magma all over the place. Mostly by where the elemental is and it hastily backs away from Delilah and the group. As it does so a snake of magma begins to pour its way up out of the ground and rumbles angrily.

"WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLUMBER!"

"It's just some nice people from the material plane Bruce. Don't melt them." The elemental hisses at the magma snake and the snake lobs a glob of magma in Asmli's direction which thankfully falls short of the man.

"I'LL MELT THEM ALL!" <ignan>

"Uh... is /this/ bad?" Lysos has to ask, stepping back a step from her already in the back position, pulling her crossbow completely off of its strap now, quarterstaff still cradled in the crook of one of her arms.

"Whoa!" Asmli's eyes go wide, taking on a close resemblance to saucers as the elemental turns his direction angrily. He leaps backwards away from it looking wide-eyed at Delilah. "What's its problem?"

"Think we woke em up," Donna sighs. "D, get over here! I *ain't* gonna hafta swim through a *lava* river t'get t'you!"

Glancing over her shoulder at her other charges, she motions backwards. "Jus'.... try not t' *touch* it. An' hope it's okay with an apology."

Elly steps back swiftly to avoid Asmli bowling into her. "Clearly some gaps remain in courtesy," she says hastily. She prepares to defend herself. Probably by ducking behind Asmli.

As her sister speaks, Delilah backs away a step. "We're sorry we woke you, please don't melt us," she requests, offering as placative a tone as she can manage. "Your friend recently... acquired a whip, from an idiot. I mean a wizard. It was the wizard's fault, really, he summoned your friend without permission, but the whip really doesn't belong here. I think it's actually something to do with water. We'd love to take it off your hands and get it back to the Material Plane where it can't cause any accidental harm?" She pauses, gulping audibly. "We didn't come here to cause a ruckus, I promise. We're just here to speak for the idiot. I mean the wizard." <ignan>

Nels acks as the magma snake thing happens and things seem to be going south quickly. She'll scramble and try to stay safe and with the group as well, as much as possible. Still not loading the gun, but more worried now.

Strike considers the situation and sidles to one side to get a better angle on the fiery serpent, and cover the younger members as a hand brushes along the opposing bracer, fingers pausing over the sharpened stars stored thereupon.

Asmli swallows hard, glancing back at Elleandra who he nearly stepped on in his startlement. "Sorry," he whispers exaggeratedly. "I ain't mean to piss it off," he mutters, before shutting up.

GAME: Delilah rolls diplomacy: (18)+13: 31

"Please don't worry over it," replies Elleandra quietly. "I think it was inevitable that it would take offense at some point." Fire isn't known for its forgiving nature, after all. "You can make it up to me with a cold drink after we get back."

The magma snake seems molified by Delilah's words and spares a glare at Asmli. "WELL SO LONG AS YOU'RE SORRY!" It growls again, then pours itself back into the ground where it disappears entirely leaving you with just the elemental once more. The elemental is quiet for a long time before it hesitantly steps forward toward the group of you and hisses at Delilah its next words.

"Well, that was dangerous. I've seen Bruce melt people over far less than waking up cranky! As for the whip, I just don't think I /can/ give it to you. It's very nice. It makes me feel all tingly inside. Tell the wizard I'm sorry but he'll have to find another one." <ignan>

Asmli puts on his best embarrassed grin, just for Elleandra. "Uh, yeah. Sure." He starts at his normal volume, but quickly drops it to a whisper.

Lysos nearly drops her crossbow as she relaxes a little when the magma thing... Bruce?.. goes back to sleep. The sweat on her hands, in her palms, doesn't help, and she's juggling both weapons now so it's hard to wipe at the sweat on her face. Somehow she manages to do so with her shoulder.

Delilah sighs softly, and shakes her head. "Alright. One moment, please." She holds up one finger to the elemental, and rubs her forehead as she turns to the rest of the group. <ignan>

"Thank every fuckin' god as cares," Donna breathes, sparing a moment to close her eyes. "So, D... What's goin' on, then? All we're hearin' is you lot talkin' in fryin' bacon."

"Alright, everyone," Delilah murmurs. "He doesn't want to give up the whip, because it makes him feel warm and tingly inside. I don't think it's fair to beat the... smoldering... crap out of him over it, 'cause none of this is his fault, really. So how do we convince a rightfully miffed fire elemental to give up something that he took from a wizard who summoned him without permission?"

Delilah adds, "Also, there's a magma snake who'll melt us if we get rowdy."

Nels ehs, "Summoned without permission? I get summoned without permission all the time. They summon me to help clean the airship, or swab the deck, or do something for the boss. I don't get to take stuff off the boss's desk when that happens."

"It makes him feel warm and tingly inside," says Elleandra. She can't help it. She giggles. "Sorry, sorry, mind is wandering. Honestly, what might we do to please this creature. Hmm.." She grins and wonders aloud, "Isn't it true that fire elementals like burning things? What might we have that would burn in a way that might be enticing to him?" Or maybe something that blows up? Like a lot?

"Giving him the wizard is probably out." Strike comments urbanely. Probably. She looks to where Bruce settled in and up to the elemental before considering the sorceress anew, "A trade of some kind." Her attention is drawn to the other woman as she speaks of spicing up the offer, "I have two ampoules of alchemist fire. Brief, but intense."

"Uh..." Lysos awkwardly holds her crossbow with her other elbow as she wipes her palms on her dress. Then she holds her quarterstaff forward. "We could trade it this? Or something else. Does it like water? Or.." As the elven sorceress mentions things that blow up... she looks sideways at Nels.

"Yeah. What else makes a fire elemental warm and tingly inside?" Asmli only just remembers to keep his voice down as he answers.

As you discuss things, the fire elemental stretches out and seems to be relaxing. It doesn't seem overly concerned with you guys any longer, and if you pay close attention you might notice the rhythmic rise and fall of its flames which suggests that it might be falling asleep.

"Seems t'me," Donna muses, "that th' whip's magic, an' *fire* magic specifically." Tapping one gauntleted finger against her bicep, she lowers her head, considering. "If we wanted t'trade somethin', it'd have t'be somethin' like."

Nels says to Donna, "Well, I've got a pile of gunpowder, if they'll trade? Somehow, I doubt it."

"Thinkin' about somethin' as lasts a lil' bit longer than that," the dark twin says. Then, she heaves a sigh. "So it looks like this's gonna turn into a fetch quest. Is there anythin' it wants bad enough it'd trade?"

Asmli swallows hard and looks down at his gauntleted fist. "Rather like this, but ... s'pose can have another made." He speaks a word, and the gaunt bursts into flaming life, right there on his hands. It does not appear to bother him, but others may not want to touch it.

"Do we trust the wizard's spells to give us that kind of time?" Strike wonders, looking up at the elemental anew, though the sudden fwoosh catches her attention right quick. Blink.

"Gyeah!" Lysos blurts when Asmli's fist catches on fire, then claps her hands over her mouth, which causes her staff and crossbow to drop, the latter which manages to hit the ground at just the right angle to discharge its loaded bolt. TWANG.

"I don't trust the wizard to know his bottom from his top," says Elly. She looks up as the bolt goes arcing over her head. Glad she's not as tall as an Oruch! She notices the elementals gentle motions and sighs, "You know, it never occurred to me that a fire elemental could be cute."

"Well, I'm okay with having to go fetch something if it means WOULD YOU CONTROL THAT CROSSBOW BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED." The sorceress practically yells without raising her voice; gotta get the point across without waking Bruce, afterall. She grinds her teeth, before she turns to face the elemental once more.

"Excuse me," Delilah intones, with a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, but we just can't let it go without a proper effort. We're being paid for this, you understand." She shrugs her shoulders lightly. "Is there anything else you might want *more* than the whip? Maybe something we could go get for you, and trade it? We'd be satisfied with that arrangement. " <ignan>

Several things happen at once. Firstly the fire elemental wakes up from Lysos's gasp. It however is immediately distracted by Asmli's guantlet and forgets to warn you about... The eruption of fire which the comes out of the ground once again. Magma pours ragefully out of the ground at the loud gasping noise. Or maybe it's Donna's words. Either way it totally interups Delilah who is once again face to face with an angry magmaman snake named Bruce.

This time the magma is boiling and it doesn't look like it's going to go to bed so quietly. "Oh oh." Says the fire elemental, hissing softly and backing away from the magmaman." <ignan>

"Sorry! Sorry!" Lysos exclaims, just barely managing to keep her apology within the whisper range. She drops to her knees, gathering up her staff and crossbow with a quick scramble. The later she stares at, then starts turning it over in her arms. "I /know/ I had that locked," she mutters, fingering a small bit of leather hanging loose on the side.

GAME: Delilah casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 6 DC: 16
GAME: Donna casts Shield. Caster Level: 6 DC: 13
GAME: Elleandra casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 2 DC: 14
GAME: Lysos casts Shield. Caster Level: 2 DC: 15

Delilah jumps back a step, sucking her breath in with a loud 'ulp' sound. "See?!" she just sputters, hurriedly waving her hands in the air in front of her. Her eyes and tattoos glow a brilliant blow as she draws a swift rune in the air in front of her, making the air around her shimmer as she conjures a shield around herself. That done, she glances to her left, then to her right, finally settling her eyes on Elleandra. "Ring the bell!" she shouts, "RING THE BELL! TIME TO GO BACK!"

"Gyeah!" There's that shout from Lysos again. She drops her staff, but keeps hold of the crossbow this time. Her left hand shoots forward, fingers splayed as she shouts, "Defendarius!" A shimmering blue circle of energy flares briefly to life before fading to near invisibility in front of her.

GAME: Strike spends ONE point of KI POOL.
GAME: Strike rolls weapon0+20: (11)+8+20: 39
GAME: Nels rolls 1d20+11: (8)+11: 19
GAME: Strike rolls 1d8+3: (6)+3: 9
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6: (1): 1
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+8: (8)+8: 16
GAME: Nels rolls 1d10+1: (5)+1: 6

Most interested in keeping her team alive, Strike surges forward into a lunge as the Magmaman emerges with renewed hostility, and she jams her fist into it's... belly... midriff.... somewhere, scalding her hand, but failing to stun it. With luck she'll draw fire until the others can escape.

Nels is frantically grabbing for a paper cartridge from her bandolier, and she rips it open with her teeth and pours the powder down the barrel of her dragonspitter. Next comes the lead ball, then she crumples the cartridge paper and stuffs that down as well, packing it all with the ramrod. She cocks the hammer, and gives this monster a volley, the gun exploding with a BOOM as she fires at the magma creature. She's not sure if that did anything or not?

Elly throws up her mage armor with a quick word and a hasty gesture. As if the whole thing was perfectly made for this moment, the motion of her left hand brings it right into her bag, where she grabs the bell and starts ringing it frantic energy. Other than a few expletives that would make her mother proud and her father cover his face in embarrassment, she has little to add at this point.

"Field trip's over, boys and girls," Donna sighs as the magma-snake explodes back out of the ground. Holding her arms out in front of her, she describes a large circle with the tips of her outstretched fingers, as pale blue runes flare to life up the visible length of her arms. A disk of force not unlike Lysos' shimmers into being, at which point Donna steps to one side, and puts her fingers to her mouth to elicit a piercing whistle.

"OI! BRUCE!"

Yes, she does not speak Ignan. But she accompanies the important bits of her loud words with exaggerated gestures. "YOUR," she bellows, pointing at the snake, "MUM," makes a cradle with her arms, rocking it to and fro, "EATS," exaggerated gobbling motions, "EFREETI," ...and lacking any real translation she just holds her nose in the air and hops in place like a ponce, "SHIT," .... I mean, yes.... "WITH A SMILE!" Big smile! Big smile!

GAME: Donna rolls bluff: (13)+7: 20
GAME: Asmli rolls weapon1-1+2: (1)+7+-1+2: 9 (EPIC FAIL)

Asmli instinctively ducks as wayward crossbow bolts go flying ... and piss off their host's Crankshaft of a neighbor. Party time, at last! Dashing forward impulsively, he holds the double-ended weapon at the ready ... only to stumble on a stray pebble, his slash going well wide of its intended target, and his momentum carrying him staggering towards the edge of the magma river.

He flails, he stumbles, but a slip of the rock at the edge spells his doom, and he goes tumbling with a screams into the magma river!

Bruce roars and lunges at Donna, clearly taking whatever she said (or more accurately did) the hard way and attacking her head-on. The attack misses, but only thanks to her timely spell. If not for the hovering blue shield which protected her, she would surely have shared the same fate as Asmli.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+9: (14)+9: 23

Lysos starts to gather energy for another spell.. then she watches Asmli charge off. She closes her fist, uncertain if she could get her spell off safely now, then starts to raise her crossbow while pulling a bolt from its quiver. And then Asmli takes his tumble. "Damn!" The crossbow drops AGAIN, though at least this time it wasn't loaded, and she sprints off after the falling dwarf to try and grab him and drag him out of the magma river.

GAME: Delilah casts Color Spray. Caster Level: 6 DC: 16
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+1: (15)+1: 16

Strike readies her still smoking fist for another thrust when the Dwarf's charge goes horribly, horribly awry and she breaks off her intention to attack, chancing a counterattack as her back turns and she sprints with monkly nimbleness toward the pit Amsli fell into.

GAME: Nels rolls 1d20+11: (10)+11: 21
GAME: Nels rolls 1d10+1: (9)+1: 10

Nels frantically loads another round into her thunderbelcher. There's a flurry of paper and powder and ramming it home, then another thunderous BOOM as she fires at the creature. She can only hope it's helping.

Watching Asmli charge.. into the fire is a bit of a surprise. Elly isn't aware of the fighting style of his people, but since two of her companions are charging after him it seems that wasn't some kind of cunning plan. Having done her bit with ringing that damn bell, she again gestures, the spoken word of magic missile spat out as if it were a curse. She will move towards the portal, but not through it. The ass might close it right behind her, after all.

GAME: Elleandra rolls 1d4+1: (1)+1: 2
GAME: Donna casts Thunderstomp. Caster Level: 6 DC: 13
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+8: (6)+8: 14
GAME: Donna rolls bluff: (16)+7: 23

The impact against her shield is terrible, and makes the warrior's knees buckle for a moment. But, pushing back against the strength of pissed-off lava, she stomps hard against the ash-choked granite, sending ripples of force beneath the snake, and right after does....something... that probably impugned Bruce's lineage? Biology? Hobbies? All three?

Oh my.

GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+9: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL)

Pulled back onto the stone bank by the combined efforts of Lysos and Strike, Asmli rolls onto the stone, moaning. He did not seem to have gone under, completely, but the fall was more than enough. Melted armor is wrapped around legs that do not respond, and everything from the waist down is a mangled mess, especially where part of his right leg appears to be quite simply melted off. The upper body fared a little better, but not by much, and he seems to be barely conscious, making no move or sign of recognizing anyone.

So enraged is Bruce that the magmaman can not focus on its attacks. It lunges forward straight into the stone ground. Smashing its face there and then shaking its head furiously to clear its sight so that it can attack again.

GAME: Delilah casts Color Spray. Caster Level: 6 DC: 16
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+1: (13)+1: 14

Once the moment of pulling Asmli out of the fire is over and Lysos gets a good look at him... she immediately wishes she didn't. (Get a good look at him, that is. She's still glad she pulled him out of the fire. Honest.) The gag reflex starts kicking in, and it's all she can do not to let her lunch go. Somehow she manages to hold on and shrugs out of her vest, using it to wrap around her arms so she can help Strike carry Asmli while minimizing the burns she gets from his still smoldering body.

The portal is open? The portal is open! But, Delilah's not going anywhere without her sister, even if the Fire Plane is cool. (Figuratively speaking only, of course.) The sorceress moves to stand near the portal, positioned strategically so that if it comes down to it, Donna can grab her in passing and dive through with her. Meanwhile, she repeats the previous tracing of runes in the air; with a bit of a chant, she once again shows Bruce a vision of Time and Space, with an echo of the staticy-thrumming from before. "Get ruined!!" she yells at the MagmaMan. "But don't die! I'd feel bad about that. At least a little bit."

Strike has seen too much, and even in this new meat, she's endured enough to lock down the troubling responses the frame undergoes under unpleasant smells, at least for a time. The Mulblooded monk glances along the Dwarf's ravaged body and, with only a, "Let's move." she scoops him up in her arms, gritting her teeth as the still hot metal sizzles against her own bare flesh, and starts to move toward the portal, calling over her shoulder, "WE.ARE.LEAVING!"

Elleandra gasps when she sees just what's happened to the Khazad. She hopes there are healers waiting. She is going to take this out on the hide of that wizard. Well she's probably not tough enough, but she may give him some wicked food poisoning sometime, when his guard is down. No time for that kinda thought now. She moves the rest of the way through the portal, calling out in anger and sending another magic missile at Bruce. "Hope you choke on it, you heap of burning trash!" She hopes to learn some of those insults Donna used for future times when she feels this mad.

Between Bruce's accident, and her sister's spell, Donna nods as Strike and Lysos haul Asmli's body past her. Backing up toward the portal, she holds up her shield until the last of the adventurers are through, and only then does she turn to follow. Once through, she finds the nearest piece of the room to lean on, her clothes reeking of burnt ash, as she struggles to catch her breath.

Once everything is settled, and the healers have come for the dwarf, Donna's head slooooooooowly turns to stare at the wizard, stonefaced.

"....So. *What* have we learned today?"

Once Asmli's body is settled on the floor, Lysos stumbles away. Dwarf saved? Check. Through the portal and out of the fire world? Check. Safe? Probably. Seconds later she has her head over... a cauldron? Making terrible retching sounds. Hopefully the wizard wasn't using it for anything.

Delilah hurries through alongside her sister, after making sure all of the less experienced and hurt adventurers make it through ahead of them. She's just about to open her mouth to chide the wizard, when Donna beats her to it; and that's just fine, as it happens. She's content to lean against the wall, catch her breath, and check her clothes for fire damage.

Besides, watching Donna chew someone out is always entertaining.

For the first time in Elleandra's memory, she's really, really angry. The serious look of the healers, the rushing out of Asmli is just too much. She glares at the wizard in silence for a time, and then rushes out in tears, chasing behind the healers . She wants to be sure Asmli is okay, and tearing a wizard's ears off and nailing them to a wall is hardly going to help her do that.

GAME: Nels rolls weapon0: (9)+7: 16
GAME: Nels rolls weapon0: (17)+7: 24
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6: (4): 4
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d6: (2): 2
GAME: Aftershock rolls 1d20+9: (7)+9: 16
GAME: Nels rolls will: (14)+2: 16

Nels sees the way out is open, but we haven't gotten what we've come for. She dashes /back towards/ the elemental, and tries to fish the whip out of the elemental's body, using her rifle butt to try to hook it out. This puts her right in the flames, and she comes away with some red skin and blisters, but also with the whip. She dashes for the exit, now, hopefully she hasn't missed the opportunity to get off this plane. She ducks an attack from the magma creature and dives for the way out.

The mage is red-faced from the looks he's getting, waiting until the last moment to close his gate and then grinning broadly at Nels. "You got it! I thought you guys had been forced to retreat but there it is! Thanks!" He holds his hand out for the item in question.

"HOLD UP," Donna says, stomping up to put herself between the mage and Nels. "You didn't answer my question, buddy. An' seein' as how one of us nearly *died* for your toy, an' another one only got it 'cos she's got more stones than brains, I'd say we *deserve* a second o' your time. So. *What.* *Did.* *We.* *Learn.* *Today.*"

Nels looks around at everyone, and then at the mage. "What?" she shouts, irate. "Everyone else left. They /chickened out/, when it was right there. And you," she glares at the wizard, "weren't putting your fat backside at risk. I figure -this- is mine now, and you can suck on your indignation."

"Not so fast," Delilah declares, jumping up to position herself between Nels and the Wizard. "I told you this was going to cost *extra*, and what's more, I know what Nels here just went through to get that whip for you while we were busy covering everyone else's retreat so our Dwarf could get out of this alive." She folds her arms across her chest, and perks an eyebrow upwards. "You agreed implicitly to--" She stops, and turns to look at Nels with an upturned eyebrow. "Really? That's the way you're going to treat your teammates?" She snorts audibly. "Well, feel free to adventure by yourself from now on, you're going to have a tough time finding teammates with *that* attitude."

Lysos looks up from the cauldron, pale faced and breathing shakily... and then she slumps against a wall and looks up at the ceiling. "Well... at least we lived, right? Hopefully?" She wipes at her face, then struggles to her feat. "I need a bath. Yep, a bath."

Strike steps back just far enough from Amsli to let the healers get to work on him while everything else goes on in the background. The job is done, the team is mostly alive, though she will wonder, "Will he live?"

Like so much, it remains to be seen.

-End