IC8-1
IC8
SYRISSA
Floradine and Shanjalae, Shae and Garanon jump through the portal. Just as the staff passes through with Garanon, the portal instantly closes, leaving Fire and Rathyl back with the volcano. You can only imagine their surprise when the portal closes and they are surrounded by a wall of ash and lava with no escape. You hope their passing was fast and painless.
You fall in a heap on a stone floor. Around you can be heard the voices of wizards, several of them, chanting different spells. Then you hear a voice yell, "Wait!"
The party members begin to extract themselves, and you find yourself looking around a circular tower, nearly bare except for wizardly items. You first see a wizard with an eyepatch. Gathbael! He is holding up his hand for the others to stop. "That is not Bezbathal!" he tells the others. "Hold your spells."
You see close by another aged wizard. A pipe hangs from his mouth. It has been a long time since you have seen the pipesmoking wizard. He curls his fingers into his hand and the growing light of some magic diminishes and then blinks out.
There is a third wizard you have never seen before. He is clad in red and green robes. His beard is shorter than the others, cut closer to his face. He says, "Nevertheless, Attrivus will find us before long. We must hurry."
"But look what fate has brought us," the pipesmoking wizard says. "This cannot be happenstance."
"And how did they get Bezbalath's staff?" Gathbael states with a curious raising of his eyebrow.
"Who are they?" the third wizard asks.
Gathbael smiles in response. "Surely, you have heard of the Baron's Crusaders, Ashe. If memory serves me, this is Sir Floradine, and that is Shae Shadowglenn, and this is Garanon, Kanteel's younger brother. I am afraid I do not know the elven child."
"Garanon I know," Ashe states. "The others, I hear, destroyed my tower in the Valley of Mist." The three wizards look at each other and then explode into laughter.
"Welcome," Gathbael states to the group. "Surely you must desire to tell us your tale and refresh yourselves."