The party quickly begins picking its way through the rocks.  Joseph keenly remembers twisting his ankle on them last time.  Now they are wet and slippery.  However, you find that wading through the water actually makes it a little easier than trying to walk on the rocks, even though your feet get soaked.  You walk on and on, all the while looking back expecting to see lava flowing toward you.  You still hear rumblings and the explosion is imminent, but you don't know if it will be minutes, hours, or days before the volcano finally explodes.  When it does, you know you must be miles away to avoid the ash, heat, and other effects.

The thirty minute walk seems to take an eternity.  As you walk, the stream of water grows smaller and smaller until it is only a trickle, and then you are just navigating around puddles.

Finally you break out onto the main cavern.  The differences are shocking.  Previously, there was a narrow slide of ice that you had to squeeze down.  The ice has now almost completely melted, accounting for the stream of water.  The cavern is about 200 feet from the cave entrance to the far side.  You see things now that were completely hidden under the ice before.  The bodies of the wolves and the goblin (and, apparently, any remains of the strange ooze) have been washed away.  The cavern is shaped like half of an upside down funnel, with the funnel opening on the far side of the cavern from where you stand.

The room is scattered with potholes carved from the lava tubes eons ago, some of them a few inches wide and a few inches deep, others large enough and deep enough for a person to fall down and never be seen again.

To your left, lava has broken through many of the holes from below (as per the diagram).  You would have to navigate around the flowing lava to get to the far side.

Straight in front of you is a strange sight.  A ledge runs across two deep chasms that lead into darkness below.  You see the glow of lava from down there but that is all.  Either side of the ledge is filled with rocks and rubble.  You could try to cross the ledge, which at its flattest point is about two to three feet wide.  If you fell, you might catch yourself in the rocks and rubble, but if you failed that, you would surely perish.

To your right, the floor is marked with many more potholes, the shallowest of them filled with water.  Nearly every step would land you in one.  However, the lava has not yet broken through.  On the far side to your right, you would have to cross the last of the melting ice and its puddles of water.  A hill of ice is to the far right, the last vestige of the giant ice slide.

Far ahead of you, natural light illuminates a small hill.  It is, at last, the entry point to the volcano.  You see your two entry ropes hanging down, but realize with horror the problem.  Previously, they came down to a point just above over the ice.  Now, the ice is melted, and the bottoms of the ropes hang at a point sixty feet above the hill.

However, that is something you may have to solve later, for the rumbling of the awakening volcano rolls through the cave like deafening thunder.  You do not have much time.

Shae moves forward to survey the scene with dismay. "The Gods of strife are against us it would seem."

"No matter." she mutters as her attention focusses on the flying Rathyl, "Can you fly ahead and out the entrance. At the top, untie one of the ropes and tie it to the other and lower it so that it is closer to the ground."

She turns a grim expression to Floradine and the others, "Whilst Rathyl fixes the ropes, we can be crossing the area saving us some what little time we have left. The ledge looks to the safest route if we are careful.  The potholes and lava area looks a little too dangerous.  What do you think gentleman?"

"Hmm," Floradine thinks.  "That's a good idea to have Rathyl get the ropes, but I was thinking of trying the pothole area because its the only way I can avoid possibly falling to my death or into molten lava."  He looks at the others.  "Actually, it might be safest to either have us take different ways across or send one at a time so that if one way becomes dangerous, we won't all be stuck in the same situation and someone can help."

"Very well, Ellid," Shae nods in agreement, "I'll take the ledge."

With that she moves across the ledge, moving cautiously and steadily.

Floradine begins walking in the pothole area, staying close to the edge of the chasm in case he needs to run back to help Shae.

Garanon eyes Shae for a moment and then follows along behind Floradine.

Undaunted by the strange appearance of Rathyl, Shanjalae turns to him and says, "I would be delighted if you could carry me across to the hill."

Shae begins climbing across the center area.  It is somewhat slippery from the cold water.

Floradine begins picking his way across the potholes.

Rathyl lifts Shanjalae and begins flying across the room.

The natural bridge is about 100 feet across, and the cavern is approximately 200 feet across.  Shae and Floradine make it about fifty feet before they notice Rathyl.  He has passed them by another fifty feet.  His head suddenly starts bobbing.  He swerves erratically and then dives, smashing into the water just fifty feet ahead of Floradine.  He is semi-conscious.  Shanjalae also appears to be dazed.

Rathyl rises to his feet and shakes his head.  Trudging out of the water, he shakes himself dry and peers about for the child.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:07, Mon 03 Nov 2003.

Shanjalae falls down.  Rathyl searches for her in his dizziness, finds her unhurt, and stares up into the air for the source of the the dizziness.

Floradine runs to Shanjalae and lifts her to her feet, helping her out of the melting ice water.

Shae moves carefully along the ledge making it 70 of the 100 feet without incident.

A huge rumble fills the cavern, emanating from below.  The earthquake-like shake of the ground...throws Floradine...Rathyl...Shanjalae...and Shae to the ground.  Garanon alone, about thirty feet behind Floradine, retains his balance, and Fire, who has not yet set out to cross, seems unaffected by the shaking earth.

...Shae falls on the ledge and begins to slide.  ...She manages to straddle the ledge and hold on with her one good hand, although it will be difficult to pull herself back up.  Her legs dangle over the side of the ledge.

For a moment, you think the volcano is finally erupting or that lava will spout up from below.  Then you see a head emerge, and then a portion of a body.  A huge worm of dark purple color emerges from the large circular hole in the ground.  It is immense, at least fifty feet long, though only half of that appears.  The head bobs angrily.  This worm is extremely agitated and violent.  Its maw is gaping with jagged teeth.  It swings its head around searching for food or prey or perhaps just to get out its frustrations.

This message was last edited by the GM at 01:40, Mon 03 Nov 2003.

Floradine turns to face the monster with his sword ready to fend off any attacks, but he does not outright attack it yet.

The huge worm continues to rise, swinging its head toward Rathyl and Shanjalae.  The earthquake-like shaking from its ascension causes a large chunk of ice from the southeast corner to break loose.  A ten foot wide shard begins sliding down the melting ice and water toward where Rathyl and Shanjalae are recovering from their fall and facing the purple worm.

Floradine rushes to pull Shanjalae out of the way of the sliding ice drift.

Shae...manages to swing her legs up and begin walking along the ledge again.

Floradine grabs Shanjalae and dives for safety.  The wall of ice hits Rathyl straight on, slamming him over the edge of the ravine.  (12 hp dmg)  The stunned Rathyl, however, does not lose consciousness and a few seconds later spreads his wings and lifts up over the edge, rubbing his head.

The purple worm swings toward Garanon, Joseph and Fire.  It lashes out at Garanon...who dodges and dives to the ground.  Then the worm pulls itself out from the hole and moves after Joseph and Fire.

Taking Shanjalae under one arm, Floradine runs for the hill as fast as he can.

"Run! Run!" Shae yells at Joseph and Fire as they stand under the purple worm's gaze.

Taking heed of her own advice she continues as quickly as she can along the ledge towards the hill.

Garanon focuses all his energy on dodging the purple worm.

The purple worm lunges at Garanon...and Garanon manages to jump out of the way.  But the tremor of the worm smacking the ground next to him sends him over the edge and into the crevasse.

The worm turns left toward Joseph and Fire, pulling its full 50-60 length body out of the hole.

Floradine grabs Shanjalae and runs to the hill...he almost slips in the freezing water, but then he gets to the hill and successfully scales to the top.

Shae runs precariously to the end of the ledge.  The lava flow has almost reached her to block off her exit, but her running allows her to jump over it and sprint safely to the top of the hill.

As the worm moves toward Joseph and Fire, the place where it just smacked into the ground begins to crumble and give way.  Then spouts of lava spew forth, cutting off that escape from Joseph and Fire.  They will have to go around the north side or the way that Shae went.

Just then, you see that two hands are holding onto the ledge.  Garanon has managed to catch the side of the crevasse and is pulling himself up just as the tail end of the worm passes him by.  Another close call for one who continues to evade death at every turn.

Shae and Floradine are left staring up at the ends of the rope.  You estimate that they are just less than 60 feet above you.

"Rathyl!" Shae yells scanning about for the transformed elf, "We need you to get the ropes for us!!  There is no escape otherwise!"

Her eyes move back to the scene below. "For the God's sake, RUN!" she yells as Joseph and Fire as she points at the lava area, "Its your only eway out!"

Floradine suggests, "If there is a problem with Rathyl, perhaps we can use the staff of teleportation and teleport straight up."  He looks at the staff.  "As a last resort."

Fire runs toward the ledge where Shae was climbing across and hurries to the far side.

Garanon runs, jumps over the lava, and joins Shae and Floradine.

Garanon climbs up onto the shelf and runs over, jumping over the lava.  At a running jump, he barely makes it to the other side.  He begins to climb up the hill.

Rathyl flies up the chimney-like opening.  The gasses that dazed him do not appear to touch him as he climbs toward open sky to begin untying the ropes.

The purple worm rises up and slams down on Joseph.  The ranger is unable to defend himself against the gigantic beast.  He is surrounded by the giant maw and swallowed whole.

As the purple worm slams back into the ground, Fire almost loses his balance...but he pulls himself together and crosses the ledge.  The purple worm turns and begins moving frantically around the giant cavern looking for an escape.

Fire and Garanon join the others, and Rathyl manages to get the ropes untied.  The length drops to a level you can reach.  You can begin climbing single file up the rope.

Shae looks away as Joseph vanishes into the purple worm's maw, not to be seen again.  Her head remains bowed for several seconds before looking up at the others.  Tears well in her eyes but her voice is very much commanding, "Floradine, take Shanjalae and climb the rope, Fire and Garanon you follow closely behind."

She pauses to hold up her stump, "I cannot climb well with my missing hand so all of you should go first.  I will tie the rope to myself and when you reach the top,  you can haul me up the rest of the way."

"Good idea," Floradine says.  He takes Shanjalae, tells her to hold on tight around his neck, and begins climbing as fast as possible.  "We must hurry," he urges, looking over at the worm.  "That...thing...may soon realize that the only escape is up through this crater hole."