The party carefully steps over the water.  Because of Shae's lost hand, Sir Floradine lifts Shanjalae over and hands her to Kallad on the other side.  The walls are still shaking, and the water is rising.  At each shake of the mountain, it spills out onto the platform.  You will not have much time to cross.  Luckily, Shanjalae is successfully handed across the five foot wide water-filled trench.

Through the heavy and hot mist, you see another of the trenches--the next gutter for one of the rolling stones.  It too is filled with water.  From the north wall, you see the water seeping heavily into the room, spraying out.  You will have to move closely against the southern wall and hope that no spraying water hits you.

You also see the next trench, or what's left of it.  It is filled with lava, which appears to be pouring in from somewhere to the northwest.

Looking down at his burnt hand, Floradine says, "Guess I better put away the two handed sword."  He trades for the mace again and straps on the shield as he had before his left hand was restored.

"Looks like you have point, Joseph," he calls ahead.  "I suggest we move through here quickly."

[TIP:  If you do not see the character portrait in the left hand column, then you will need to go to your game preferences and switch portraits to "on".]

Shae moves to Floradine, taking his injured hand in her own, "This is the last of my curing spells for the day. We need to make it out of here without further injury."

Again, the druid prayers to her totem spirit for a healing spell, her hands glowing in familiar healing blue as she encompasses Floradine's injury in her hands.

"Let's continue on."

Shae hangs back with Floradine and prays for healing.  (+7 hp).

Joseph stays close to the southern wall and jumps across the gutter filled with acid water.  The spray from the north wall does not hit him and he lands safely on the other side.

Kallad follows...with similar effects.  Illborn helps them get Shanjalae across, and she makes it safely clear of the spray.  Illborn also jumps, and his new legs help him make it without problems to the other side.

By this time, Joseph must jump across the lava filled gutter.  The biggest worry at this point is that the rising heat or a lava bubble will scorch him as he crosses.  He jumps...and lands safely on the other side.  Kallad, Illborn, and Shanjalae likewise make it safely across.

Having finished the spell, Shae and Floradine move to the edge of the gutter to jump across the water...however, it is at this moment that the northern wall bursts, shooting water like a geyser across the room.  Shae and Floradine are soaked with the water from head to toe.  They chill as it is freezing cold, but there is no acidity to it.  The water has not yet been contaminated.  Wet and chilled to the bone, Floradine and Shae jump safely across.

They then move to the lava flow.  Shae jumps...and another quake seems to rock the floor, making her lose her balance...

The others watch in horror as Shae looks down, only to see a stream of liquid lava below her...

And then hands are reaching out.  Kallad had been watching closely, and he grabs and pulls Shae quickly across before she can fall.  The two stumble away, Kallad crashing into the statue just behind them...and remarkably, neither is injured.

Floradine jumps across without incident.

You now stand in the area to the southeast of the statue between the two lava flows.  A huge gash in the northern wall bleeds in lava that runs into the gutters and fills part of the northern floor.  But a sound catches your attention, something you had not noticed with the sound of gushing water.  The last section of floor is still moving back and forth, and its rolling stone is still making its unrelenting way from the north to the south as you watch.  You will have to dodge it one last time before making it to safety.

However, there is just one problem.  The lava to the north is filling up quickly.  If you do not jump quickly across the stream of lava and then hurriedly across the rolling ball gutter, chances are that the whole party will not have time to make it.  You will have to go in groups of twos...and go quickly.

The druid takes the time to hug her father close, grateful that he had, yet again, saved her life.  "I love you." she whispers to him before quickly releasing him and moving back to Floradine.

"Father will go with Shanjalae.  Illborn with Joseph and then Floradine and I. Let's go people!" Shae says as she urges the others to quickly cross.

Floradine nods his agreement to Shae's analysis.  He makes sure as they cross that he is on the side of the danger and shielding Shae from any harm.

[Note to players:  If you go back and look at the Reports in Playbyweb, you will now see that InquestCrusaders is in the oldest 40 boards there.  Unfortunately, we've moved here so we won't be continuing, but just an interesting point to note.]

Kallad also agrees.  He protects Shanjalae closely as he leads her through as safely as possible.

Kallad and Shanjalae jump across the lava pit...and safely make it to the other side.  The moving floor nearly throws them off balance...but then they jump safely across the gutter with the rolling ball.  Kallad quickly helps Shanjalae through the doors and into the hallway beyond.

Joseph and Illborn go next.  They both jump safely across the lava and land more or less sure footed on the moving floor...but then another of the quakes shakes the ground.

The entire chamber shakes, and suddenly the moving panel of floor stops and a chunk rips in the center from the earthquake.  Luckily, no one is injured.  However, you see the problem as the huge round stone hits the jagged middle and its momentum pops it up into the air towards you with about two tons of weight.

...it flies over Joseph's head as he ducks...but it hits Illborn, crashing down on his legs.  You hear a loud cracking sound as, for the second time, his legs are drastically wounded by one of these balls.  (16 hp dmg) The ball continues forward, slamming into the floor just behind Illborn and tearing up tiles and earth.

Illborn is falling backwards in pain with his useless feet, unable to hold himself up...the lava-filled gutter is just behind him.

The ball crashes into the wall just in front of Floradine and Shae, sending fragments of the wall flying...one piece hits Floradine (2 hp dmg) but Shae manages to dodge out of the way.  Then the ball rolls harmlessly forward and into the water gutter, its energy spent.

Illborn, however, falls backward with a thump, his body just inches from the lava-filled gutter.  He is barely conscious.

Joseph, Shae and Floradine rush forward to help Illborn, but the earthquake has widened the crack in the north wall, and lava spews forward.  Before you can react, the lava fills the floor.  Molten rock shoots out...just missing Joseph, Shae and Floradine.  Illborn, unfortunately, is in the way of the new lava flow.  The wave of lava hits his body.  There is nothing you can do to save him as the force of the flow forces him into the lava-filled gutter.  His weak cries silence in moments.

The lava is now everywhere.  Shae and Floradine hurriedly jump out of the way, across the gutter, and with Joseph all three flee the room and rejoin Kallad and Shanjalae.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:02, Mon 04 Aug 2003.