Floradine begins climbing hand over hand.

Fire rushes across the bridge, climbs the hill, and joins the others.

The purple worm is thrashing about on the west side of the cave, trapped by lava.

Garanon begins climbing.

A glow from the distant cave draws your attention.  The red glow is unmistakeable.  A river of lava bursts through the cave, filling the potholes, emptying into the deep crevasse, and hitting the purple worm.

Frantic, the purple worm begins moving away--closer toward the party--its body smoking and flaming like a hellish nightmare.  Its head is thrashing from side to side as it curves around to the last remaining ice and water, somehow sensing the coolness there.

Fire begins climbing.  The wizard is not so strong as the others, and he has difficulty moving swiftly.

Meanwhile, Shae is left watching a wall of lava build up around her as it hits the base of the hill.  The purple worm on the south side thrashes about in the water and then moves toward the hill.

Shae ties the rope length around her waist even as the purple worm wiggles its way closer.

Fire is not yet halfway up the rope.

Garanon slips up over the top edge.

The purple worm lunges at Shae, but suddenly she feels herself propelled upward.  The worm lands on bare earth where she had stood moments previously.  Floradine, Rathyl and Garanon are lifting her (and Fire) up through the chimney-like hole.

Shae looks down as she moves up as though through an upside down funnel.

The purple worm lunges upward at her.  It is too close...she kicks out, striking one flap of its maw, and it falls back down, crashing in an explosion of dirt.  Surrounded by lava, the worm strikes directly into the cave wall, burrowing into the side of the mountain.  The sudden jolt sends rocks down around you...one rock hits Fire (4 hp dmg).  The rocks barely miss Shae.

By the time Fire and Shae reach the top, looking down the hole shows only a red glow building up.  Besides the loose lava, you can feel the pressure and vibrations in the volcano.  It is those internal pressures which will cause it to erupt, exploding out.  You must escape the island.

You remember flying in on lizard like creatures borrowed from the natives.  The activity of the volcano has apparently frightened them off, for they are nowhere to be seen.

The well worn path used by the natives leads around the volcano on one side just over the crater.  To the other side, half of the lake is still frozen.  You will have to climb up through the mud and take the trail or scale the side of the volcano, which is about a 50 degree angle and leads down through trees and underbrush.

As though an omen, the last fuel in your last lantern gives out, and the lantern's light dies away.  It is midafternoon, and the sky is clear.  You have probably two or three hours of sunlight, but you imagine that the sky will be unnaturally darkened long before then once the ash and debris from the exploding volcano cover the sky.
(Views of volcano island, the "Eye of the World" and side view of ledge)


This message was last edited by the GM at 23:43, Fri 14 Nov 2003.

As soon as she is safe, Shae hugs Floradine in thanks.  Pulling away from him she gives a grateful look to Rathyl, and even includes Garanon.  "Thank you. You saved me from a grizzly end." she says quietly to the two men.

"Now," her gaze drifts over their surrounds, "Which way should we go?"

"If you can climb, I suggest going straight down," Floradine suggests.  "I'll take Shanjalae."  He hefts her onto his strong back.  "Let's go."  He runs to the edge of the crater, finds the safest spot, and begins to descend.

The party heads over the side of the mountain.  At full speed, it is a dangerous descent...but there are no casualties, and it takes about twenty minutes to get to the bottom.

As you climb down, you notice small primitive boats filled with natives leaving the island.

Reaching the bottom, you begin to head toward the edge facing the nearby land.  You will have to swim about three miles to get to the land.

From the bottom, you hear a loud explosion and turn to see the side of the mountain erupting into ash and cloud.



In front of you, you may go straight through a lake at the bottom of the mountain or skirt around the lake.  The lake has a native boat moored on the nearest side to you and a couple more on the far side--obviously a popular fishing spot.  Going around the lake will take precious time.

You may also head straight forward to the edge of the island and swim to shore or go to your right to the small native village to look for boats.  Going to the village will again create delays, but perhaps a risk you will take.

Shae looks over the scene and the choices before them. “The one boat by the lake won’t be enough to hold all of us, and the swim to the far island really doesn’t fill me with pleasant feelings.  I think we should risk going to the village in the hope of finding more boats.”
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:53, Wed 19 Nov 2003.

"I agree," Floradine says.  "To the village!"

Moving to take Shanjalae by the hand, the druidess moves off in the direction of the village, hurrying along as quickly as the younger elf can move.

With the 'relative' safety of the situation she quietly asks her sister, “I’m sorry about your father.  I would have done anything to save him, after he saved me on a number of occasions. That, and the opportunity to know more of my blood father.”  She blinks several times in an effort to hold back tears before smiling down at Shanjalae, “Perhaps you can tell me more about Kallad and Shaelad, as we get to know each other better."

Shanjalae listens and then pauses.  "Father says there was nothing you could do."  She pauses again.  "He says you must free mother."

Shae quirks an eyebrow at Shanjalae, “Even on his journey along the blue path our father continues to focus on the happenings on the red path.  He is sure to be reincarnated for another cycle in our world.”

Hand tightens slightly on Shanjalae’s. “In any case, to save the Queen we have to get off this island and back to Tienna.  If that damn Oracle bestowed more than one wish, our quest would be a little easier.”

She continues to hurry toward the village, the threat of an imminent volcano eruption spurring her on.

Floradine raises a quizzical eyebrow as the party moves toward the village.  "Perhaps your father can tell us what we should do to escape the wrath of this mountain.  I fear that we will not have time to put distance between us and the wall of burning ash and lava that will soon erupt."

Shae nods in agreement with Floradine and turns an eye to Shanjalae, "Does Kallad have any suggestions on escaping our predicament sister?"

Shanjalae looks at them and then points to Garanon.  "He has the answer," she says.

Golden eyes move from Shanjalae's outstretched hand to focus on Garanon.  "Now why doesn't that surprise me." she says, "Well Garanon. Out with it. If you have a way to get us off this island and back to Tienna speak now!"

Garanon's voice, for the first time since you've known him, actually seems to stutter.  "I...I don't know.  I don't understand."  He looks to Shanjalae for advice.

As the party finishes skirting the lake and talking, you see something in the sky.  Apparently drawn by the smoke and thundering, two huge red creatures fly from the mainland toward the island.  As they approach, you see that they are red dragons.  They swoop closer, and then you see their prey.  Fire billows from their mouths, and one of the larger villager boats lights up in flame.  They squawk like hawks as they veer around for another attack.

Just then, a giant explosion nearly deafens you.  Even the dragons stop midflight and turn.  The volcano has at last erupted, shooting lava and ash into the sky.


You hurry up your pace, getting around the lake and somewhat closer to the village and its boats, although you are quite certain the dragons will still be hunting their prey when you get to the boats.  Then you look behind you, awed by what you see.  Coming down the mountain like a wall of fire is a river of lava straight toward the lake and the place where you stand.  Not far behind it, hot ash is rolling over everything like a cloud.

This message was last edited by the GM at 20:17, Fri 22 Sept 2006.

In an uncharacteristic lack of knightly demeanor, Sir Floradine says, "Oh, shit."

If the situation weren’t so dire, Shae would have laughed at Floradine’s reaction.  Instead, she took firm hold of Shanjalae’s hand, turned on her heel away and bolted towards the boats.

“Think Garanon!  Are you sure you don’t know a way off this rock!” she yells back at the thief.

As you run from the wall of lava, Shanjalae says calmly, "Father says it is the staff of Bezbalath that can save us."

Garanon pulls out the staff and puts it to use to see what it will do.

Garanon firmly plants the staff, and it explodes into a ball of light.  In front of you a portal door opens.

Behind you, the wall of lava reaches the lake.  Steam sizzles and rises into the air.  The water nearest you bubbles and boils as lava covers it.  Just behind the lava, the black wall of ash and smoke swoops down.  It will either smother you or reduce you to ash in about the next ten seconds.

Even the huge red dragons, fifty feet long each, stop their attack on the natives and begin retreating from the violent eruption.

Floradine grabs Shanjalae and hurls them both through the portal, calling after the others to follow.

The druid doesn't wait for an invitation either as she makes a running dive through the portal.

Garanon makes sure Shae goes first and then jumps in after.